AN ambulance service for the South West reported a seven per cent spike in emergency incidents.

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust reported on their Twitter feed today (Friday, January 6) that they had an almost seven per cent increase in incidents compared to the same day in 2016.

They advised people to choose well and only call 999 in an emergency.

There has been a noticeable trend in the past few months from emergency services publishing similar advice, with hospitals across the South West experiencing increasingly busy A&E services and 999 responses.

A spokesman for South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: “All our staff out on the road and in the clinical hubs are working extremely hard to deliver the right care to our patients.

“The winter season is a particularly busy time for the Trust and the wider NHS and it is important to reserve 999 and A&E departments for genuine time-critical life threatening situations where emergency care really can mean the difference between life and death.

“There are a wide variety of healthcare services available for a range of conditions and it is really important that people choose well, especially during periods when the demand across the NHS is high.”

The BBC commissioned the Nuffield Trust health thinktank to look at four weeks of hospital data in the run-up to Christmas and found that 50 of the 152 English trusts were at the highest or second highest level of pressure

During the time period, seven trusts had to declare the highest level of emergency 15 times, meaning they were unable to give patients comprehensive care.

Nigel Edwards, the chief executive of the Nuffield Trust, said the situation could deteriorate further in the next two weeks when the NHS was usually most stretched.

“The real crunch point generally comes in week two or three after the Christmas break … there are early signs that there is a problem,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

In a statement, NHS England said: "The NHS’s tried and tested plan is currently managing the ongoing pressures of winter.

"The public can play their part avoiding going to A&E and using their local pharmacy and NHS 111."

More to follow.