An Eastbourne resident has been prosecuted following repeated inappropriate use of the 999-emergency ambulance service.
Bernard Hudson, 64, was trialled in Brighton Magistrates Court on Friday, 29 May and sentenced and charged with a penalty fine and 10-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months for continuous hoax calls to 999.
Over a three-month period, South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) received more than 287 hoax calls from Hudson. Despite being placed on the Trust’s frequent caller list, 36 ambulances were dispatched to his address during this time.
Many of these incidents were categorised as the most serious (Category 1), with reports suggesting a person was unconscious or in cardiac arrest. However, upon arrival, ambulance crews consistently found that no medical emergency existed.
Misuse of the 999 service is a criminal offence and diverts vital ambulance resources away from genuine emergencies, potentially placing lives at risk. SECAmb takes these matters extremely seriously and worked closely with Sussex Police to ensure appropriate action was taken.
Head of Frequent Caller team at SECAmb, Nathan Daxner said: “Our frequent caller team works tirelessly to ensure all patients receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place. While we have measures in place to manage inappropriate use, including restricting access to the emergency line for up to eight hours in some cases, we are still required to treat every 999 call as genuine until proven otherwise.
“Abuse of the 999 system puts significant pressure on our services and can delay care for those who genuinely need urgent medical assistance.
“We welcome the sentence imposed and thank our police colleagues for their work to ensure these crimes did not go unpunished and to our own staff for their patience and perseverance during this investigation.”
SECAmb is reminding the public that 999 should only be used in genuine, life-threatening emergencies. For non-urgent medical help, patients are encouraged to use NHS 111 online or by phone.