Sunday was the busiest day of the weekend with call numbers reaching 3,385, the 12th busiest day ever, but it was the spikes in demand that were particularly noticeable.

Across the week, the Trust received 22,952 emergency 999 calls, a rise of almost 2,500 or 12.2% over the same week in 2013.

In Shropshire the service received 1447 calls between 15 – 21 December compared to 1379 for the same period last year.

Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer, Steve Wheaton, said: “While the total numbers of calls over the weekend may not have been as high as we feared, there is absolutely no doubt that people went out partying on Friday and Saturday nights.

“On Friday, demand was significantly up from about midnight through until 2.00am, but Sunday was a whole different story. Demand got going at around 10.00pm and then increased massively through the early hours. It wasn’t until about 6.00am on Sunday morning that call numbers returned to normal. Between 3.00 and 4.00am, a demand was double what we would normally expect on a Saturday night.”

With only two days to go until Christmas, the Trust is also urging people to make final preparations to keep themselves healthy over the Festive period.

Don’t forget to pick first aid essentials like plasters and bandages, along with tissues, cold and flu remedies, a thermometer and painkillers.

Now is also the time to sort out any repeat prescriptions. Don’t leave it too late to check.

We’d also urge everyone to show a bit of community spirit and make sure your elderly relatives and neighbours are prepared too.