East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) has declared a critical incident as the heatwave drives a surge in 999 demand, urging the public to use NHS services wisely and seek alternative care for non-life-threatening conditions
Olivia Beeson UK & World News Reporter
23:49, 27 Jun 2026
A report has been sent to EMAS, the healthcare trust and the Royal College of General Practitioners. Pictured is a file photo of an East Midlands Ambulance Service vehicle.(Image: Joseph Raynor/ Reach PLC)
The East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EMAS) has declared a critical incident following mounting pressure brought about by the ongoing heatwave.
As temperatures have rocketed across the UK, ambulance services throughout the country have faced prolonged periods of intense strain, including those operating across the East Midlands.
The service declared a critical incident at 2.30pm on Saturday, June 27, following several days of record-breaking temperatures and sweltering conditions.
The East Midlands Ambulance Service has declared a critical incident (Image: burton mail)
A statement released by the service read: “Over the past 24 hours, EMAS has experienced a significant increase in demand for its services, alongside ongoing pressure within the wider NHS, and the additional challenges created by this week’s extreme heat.
“These factors have combined to create a situation that has led to this level of escalation.
“In response, EMAS continues to work closely with NHS partners to help reduce risk to patients and maintain emergency ambulance availability.”
The service also confirmed it is collaborating with hospitals to facilitate the prompt handover of patients, enabling ambulance crews to return swiftly to answering 999 calls.
EMAS is additionally liaising with healthcare providers to ensure patients are directed towards the most suitable form of care in non life-threatening situations, while continuing to prioritise the most serious and potentially fatal incidents.
The statement went on to say: “Like many across the NHS, EMAS colleagues have been working tirelessly to respond to patient need.
“All available internal actions to mitigate risk have been taken. Therefore, a critical incident has been declared to secure additional support and help reduce the risk of avoidable patient harm.
“The public is asked to help by using NHS services wisely and by taking regular medication to manage long-term conditions. If your illness or injury is not immediately life-threatening, please seek alternative care via a pharmacy, urgent treatment centre, or general practitioner (including out of hours services) – visit the NHS website for services near you.
“Given the additional weather-related pressures being responded to, please act responsibly and do not take unnecessary risks.”
EMAS escalated to Resource Escalation Action Plan (REAP) Level 4 on Monday, June 22, representing the highest tier of escalation, signalling a risk of service failure unless immediate action is implemented.
A critical incident is defined as ‘any localised incident where the level of disruption results in the organisation temporarily or permanently losing its ability to deliver critical services, patients may have been harmed or the environment is not safe requiring special measures and support from other agencies, to restore normal functions. ‘.
Chesterfield Royal Hospital stated: “These decisions aren’t taken lightly and reflect the pressure on services this weekend.”
The hospital urged the public to utilise alternative services for non-emergency medical concerns.