Some patients who ring 999 for an ambulance will be told to seek alternative treatment unless their condition is life-threatening.
The BBC reported that NHS England wants calls reviewed so those concerning non-life-threatening conditions - referred to under category two, which includes emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes but also burns and severe headaches - are referred instead to an urgent treatment clinic, a GP or a pharmacist. Around 40% of calls classed as category two will now receive callbacks from a doctor, nurse or paramedic to investigate the possibility of an ambulance alternative.
Nearly half of those who received callbacks in trials in London and the West Midlands were advised to seek alternative treatment to an ambulance, prompting NHS England to ask the country's eight other ambulance services to adopt the approach. Ambulance trusts across the country are struggling to respond to 999 calls on time, with delays handing patients to A&E playing a major role.
