VOLUNTEER lifesavers have reported a sharp increase in the number of emergencies they are attending.
Lives first responders have been called out to 4,732 incidents throughout Lincolnshire during the first quarter of this year.
That is 14 per cent up – or 545 more incidents – compared to the same period last year.
In addition, Lives – which stands for Lincolnshire Integrated Voluntary Emergency Service – believes other health services have seen a similar increase in pressure.
Dr Yvonne Owen, pictured below right, clinical director for Lives, says the increase could be down to people seeking help sooner once they feel ill.
"I have seen a change in behaviour from patients in the 20 years that I have been a GP," she said.
"People are looking for help a lot quicker these days when they have health problems.
"For example, if they have chest pains, they are advised to call 999 or 111 straight away, so that could be a reason for the increase in calls.
"We tend to respond to lots of calls that are from people with acute breathing problems.
"I chair the urgent care network in the county and all the services are seeing a similar increase at the moment."
Dr Owen says that the increase in calls is a positive development, although it is putting a strain on the service.
"It is a positive from our point of view as our volunteers don't want to be sitting at home looking at their phones," she said.
"They would rather be out there helping people.
"There are still some pockets of the county where we don't have a responder. We are looking for new recruits."
The charity believes it will cost £1 million to run the service this year. On average, it costs Lives £50 to attend an emergency. About 80 per cent of its funding comes from donations and the rest comes from local health commissioners.
The service plays a vital role in helping other 999 crews hit their response targets.
If Lives didn't exist, the organisation believes the ambulance service would need to be three times bigger to cope with the extra workload.
East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) spokesman Phil Morris said: "The support provided by Lives is very much appreciated.
"The increase in activity they are experiencing mirrors that of ambulance services across the UK and EMAS.
"For more than a decade, the number of 999 calls we receive has grown each year by around six per cent and it appears there are many reasons for this, including an increasing elderly population and members of the public now ringing 999 for less serious conditions.
"The 999 number should only be used for genuine emergencies."
