London Ambulance Service reports busiest day since pandemic

London Ambulance Service has urged the public to only call 999 in life-threatening emergencies after recording its busiest day since the Covid-19 pandemic during the recent spell of hot weather. The service said call handlers received 8,121 emergency calls on Tuesday 26 May, a 38 per cent increase compared to the 5,874 calls received on the same day the previous week.

LAS also reported that on Monday crews attended the highest number of patients on the road so far in 2026.

Alison Blakely, Deputy Chief Paramedic at the service, said Tuesday had been the organisation’s “busiest day since the height of the pandemic” and its sixth busiest day ever.

“We want people to enjoy the weather but please take steps to look after yourselves and others around you.

“As the weather is set to stay hot for the rest of the week, our message to the public is to stay safe in the heat, drink plenty of fluids, avoid excess alcohol, stay out of the sun between 11am-3pm and check in on those who are vulnerable, including those over 65, young children and those with pre-existing health conditions.”

The service said it had seen an increase in calls relating to breathing difficulties, dizziness and fainting, as well as chest pains and heart problems.

Blakely added that respiratory and cardiac-related incidents are commonly seen during and after periods of hot weather and urged people to continue checking on vulnerable friends, neighbours and relatives.

LAS has activated its REAP 4 escalation plans to help manage sustained demand. Measures include increasing the use of community response cars, deploying more clinicians to assess patients over the phone, and working with hospitals to improve handover times. The ambulance service is advising Londoners to consider alternatives such as NHS 111, NHS 111 online and GP services where appropriate.

East Midlands Ambulance Service has declared a business continuity incident following sustained pressure on services across the region amid record-breaking temperatures and wider NHS demand. Read more here.

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