News: News

How you can help us to help you during extremely busy period

It’s a difficult time for us all, but we must ask that you continue to play your part and help us to help you.

Keeping safe and well in the colder weather

With temperatures in the capital becoming colder we are asking Londoners to take additional care during this challenging time so they can stay safe and well.

A drop in temperatures can affect your health and can be especially dangerous for older people, young children and those with underlying health conditions.

We urge Londoners to see in the New Year safely by staying at home

New Year’s Eve will be different this year and we all need to mark the occasion differently – to keep ourselves, our loved ones and our communities safe and to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

Please help us to help you during extremely busy time

Like NHS organisations across the country, demand for our services has risen sharply over the past weeks and we are now taking up to 8,000 999 calls a day compared to 5,500 on a typical ‘busy’ day.

To help us reach patients who need us as quickly as we can, we are asking the public to support us by only calling 999 for life-threatening emergencies.

For urgent medical advice when it’s not an emergency, please go to NHS111 online first by going to www.111.nhs.uk.

LAS medic and ambulance dispatcher star in new series of hit health podcast

Two members of Team LAS are to guest on upcoming episodes of the new, fourth series of A&E doctor and TV personality Dr Alex George’s popular podcast, ‘The Waiting Room’.

We launch new collaboration with Professional Footballers’ Association

Through this initiative, which will be followed by others, the Service will regularly communicate future career pathways for PFA members who may be looking for another career after football.

Christmas challenge to support trainee paramedic Paddy

Trainee paramedic Paddy was seriously injured in a motorcycle collision earlier this year.

Last week, in a bid to raise funds for equipment for him, his family started a 12-day challenge, and aim to cover 1,200km by Christmas Day.

So far they’ve raised nearly £20,000!

Our paramedics to help ease pressure on GP services this winter

A new pilot will see London Ambulance Service paramedics working in GP surgeries across the London borough of Merton to help improve the care patients receive and reduce the pressures on GPs this winter.

Five-year-old girl helps save father’s life by dialling 999

Avaana helped to save her dad’s life after finding him collapsed at home from a seizure.

Avaana, who found her dad on the floor and bleeding, quickly dialled 999 and spoke with London Ambulance Service call handler, Tobias, who began giving her instructions on what to do next.

Call handler shares story of birthday cancer diagnosis in the hope his story will help to save lives

A London Ambulance Service call handler has opened up about his cancer diagnosis for Movember in the hope his story will help to save lives.

How Monia is celebrating Diwali, albeit a little differently, this year

For Monia, Diwali this year represents a message of hope during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teams from across the Service successful at HSJ Patient Safety Awards

In a reflection of the ground-breaking work taking place across our Service, two of our teams won awards at the HSJ Patient Safety Awards on Tuesday (10 November) and another was Highly Commended.

BBC ‘Ambulance’ star calls for NHS staff to open up about mental health

In the eighth episode of ‘Ambulance’, airing this Wednesday (4 November), viewers see the emotional impact on London Ambulance Service staff and volunteers dealing with traumatic situations and how they depend on each other to help handle the difficult things they see and hear on a daily basis.

Star of ‘Ambulance’ documentary opens up about cancer as he urges men to get checked out

A star of the award-winning TV show Ambulance has revealed how cancer spread to his organs because he was too embarrassed to tell a doctor.

This week’s episode of ‘Ambulance’ documentary

This week’s episode of the BBC documentary ‘Ambulance’ shows crews respond to a 999 call about a person hanging as figures reveal a rise in calls for suicide or attempted suicide.

Episode 6 of ‘Ambulance’ highlights the growing pressure on ambulance staff responding to mental health patients

The sixth episode of award-winning BBC One documentary ‘Ambulance’ follows London Ambulance Service staff and volunteers as they deal with a rising number of patients suffering from mental ill-health.

Control Room Week – celebrating our control room heroes

Join us this International Control Room Week in celebrating our control room teams who help those in need from our two 999 Emergency Operations Centres and our 111 Integrated Urgent Care Centres.

Tragedy of double bus crash in Orpington revealed in latest episode of award winning ‘Ambulance’ documentary

Episode 5 of BAFTA award winning ‘Ambulance’, catches on camera the heroic efforts of London Ambulance Service crews that race to the scene of a three vehicle crash.

London Ambulance Service statement in response to the Kevin Clarke inquest

A statement from Darren Farmer, Assistant Director of Operations at London Ambulance Service, in response to the Kevin Clarke inquest.

BBC documentary star reveals how heartbreak led him to join London Ambulance Service

Viewers of the award-winning TV show Ambulance on Wednesday night were moved by emergency ambulance crew Stuart’s story about his dad’s death.

In the episode, aired on 7 October 33-year-old Stuart Griffiths is shown rushing to a suspected cardiac arrest alongside his crewmate paramedic Rachel.

Three years ago, Stuart’s dad collapsed and stopped breathing. His mum gave him CPR until paramedics from London Ambulance Service arrived.

Medics were not able to save Stuart’s dad – who was only 57 – but the efforts they made and the care they showed the grieving family, changed Stuart’s life. Within weeks of his dad dying Stuart began enquiring about working for London Ambulance Service. He joined as call handler in the 999 control room less than six months later.