Update at 23.15 17 November

A South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) spokesperson said:

“We are pleased to confirm that all of our IT systems are now functioning fully.

“As a result, we have stood down the Critical Incident declared earlier today.

“We’d like to extend a massive thank you to our staff and volunteers for their outstanding work today, as well as to our fellow ambulance trusts and our hospital and system partners for their support.

“We’d also like to thank our patients and the wider public for their patience and understanding.

“Moving forwards, we will ensure that any learning arising from this incident is acted upon.”

Update at 18.00 17 November

A South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) spokesperson said:

“Following the IT issues experienced earlier, we’ve been working hard throughout the day to resolve the situation.

“We’re pleased that we are now starting to bring our systems back online but there is a need for further periods of testing in the coming hours.

“We would like to thank all our staff, the public and our partners for their ongoing support.

“Patients should continue to call us if they really need us but, as always, should make use of alternatives, including NHS 111 online, if it’s urgent but not an emergency.”

Update at 12:00pm 17 November:

A spokesperson for South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) said:

“The Trust continues to urge the public to only call in the event of a serious emergency as we remain in a critical incident declared earlier today.

“In line with national contingency arrangements, we are grateful for the support we are receiving from other ambulance trusts and our system partners.

“As our staff continue to work on resolving the issues, we would like to thank the public for their continued support and patience at this time.”

Statement issued at 9.00am 17 November

A spokesperson for South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) said:

“Following a significant IT issue overnight, we have declared a Critical Incident this morning – 17 November 2021. Our staff are working extremely hard as we continue to respond to patients. We would ask that you consider alternatives to calling 999, including NHS 111 online, unless it’s absolutely essential.”