You'll probably have seen in the news that there is an ambulance strike planned for tomorrow (from midnight to midnight).

E.g. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-63873505

There'll be a significantly reduced number of ambulances on the road in Cumbria - this means that it is likely that only Category 1 calls will be responded to, potentially along with some Category 2 calls (particularly where these are in a public place or without shelter, rather than at home).

Category 1 calls are those that are immediately life-threatening - someone who's not breathing

Category 2 calls are also serious and would normally be considered to need urgent assessment - for example, chest pain, or stroke symptoms

There's more explanation of what medical conditions tend to come under each category in the introduction to this article:

https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/resource/ambulance-response-times#background

As you can imagine, that means there'll be many 999 calls that would usually get a Category 2/3/4 ambulance response but are unlikely to do so during the strike period (for example, many trips and falls) - and even after the strike has finished, it's likely to take several days for the service to get back to normal.

Things you can do.....

• Share the public advice from North West Ambulance Service: https://www.nwas.nhs.uk/news/please-only-call-999-for-life-threatening-emergencies-on-days-of-strike-action/ (and there'll be similar going out on social media that you can share) - this includes:
• Only call 999 for life threatening emergencies
• Use 111.nhs.uk, visit a pharmacy, for advice on less urgent conditions
• Try and arrange your own transport if you need to visit A&E for a condition that isn't life threatening.
• Be aware that friends, neighbours and relatives might need support during this period (and be aware that there will be knock on effects on other health and care services, such as an increased demand on social care services)

This is likely to be a challenging few days for many people (including those who work in health and care services), and any support you're able to give (helping locally, or simply sharing information) will be much appreciated.