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AN Eastbourne man has been sentenced after making hundreds of hoax calls to the emergency ambulance service, resulting in dozens of ambulances being unnecessarily dispatched.
Bernard Hudson, 64, appeared before Brighton Magistrates’ Court on 29 May, where he was sentenced for repeatedly abusing the 999 emergency system.
The court heard that over a three-month period, South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) received more than 287 hoax calls from Hudson.
Despite being identified as a frequent caller, emergency resources continued to be deployed after Hudson repeatedly reported serious medical incidents requiring an urgent response.
In total, 36 ambulances were sent to his address during the period.
Many of the calls were classified as Category 1 incidents – the highest level of emergency response – with reports claiming a person was unconscious or suffering a cardiac arrest.
However, when ambulance crews arrived at the scene, they consistently found that there was no medical emergency.
Hudson was handed a 10-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay a financial penalty.
SECAmb said the misuse of emergency services places additional pressure on frontline resources and can divert crews away from genuine life-threatening emergencies where patients urgently need help.
The ambulance service has urged the public to use 999 responsibly and only in genuine emergencies where immediate medical assistance is required.
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.
