CALLS to the East of England Ambulance Service, which covers Herts and Essex, surged by 25 per cent as the snow fell.
At the peak on Saturday night (February 4) through to Sunday morning (February 5) Paul Henry, associate director for operations support, said: "The conditions have to be dealt with appropriately and safely by all our staff and volunteers. We are working hard to avoid or deal with any difficulties in reaching patients or taking them to hospital, but any non-emergency cases might have to be prepared to be patient and wait a little longer than usual."
The service received 1,229 calls between 11pm and 9am - up a quarter on the same period last week - and crews attended 19 road crashes, including six in Herts and three in Essex.
Four patients were taken to hospital following exposure to the cold including a man walking in Harlow. Mr Henry warned: “Many calls overnight were to people who had been drinking, and as the adverse weather continues into the coming days, we urge people to drink sensibly, plan their transport to and from places and dress appropriately for the cold temperatures."
