The devastating impact of hoax 999 calls revealed in TV show ‘Ambulance’

The devastating impact of a hoax 999 caller who sparked fears of a terror attack in London is revealed in the latest episode of the award-winning BBC One series, ‘Ambulance’.

Viewers will watch as dispatchers at London Ambulance Service respond to an emergency call about multiple patients injured, in the show which airs tonight (31 October) at 9pm.

Ambulance crews and police teams are sent to the scene only to discover the call was a hoax. The hoax caller keeps ringing back making false reports until, after a number of warnings, managers take the extreme step of blocking the number for the next eight hours.

His calls have impacted patients in genuine need across London who are waiting for an ambulance.

This includes an elderly patient who was found on the floor of the bathroom by her neighbour. London Ambulance crewmates Shyr-Nai and James are dispatched to help her and discover she has been on the floor for 24-hours.

Darren Farmer, Director of Ambulance Operations for London Ambulance Service, said:

“Hoax calls to 999 are a criminal offence because they threaten lives. Every hoax call we attend takes valuable resources away from genuine emergencies and can delay ambulances reaching patients with a life-threatening illness or injury.

“We work with the police to prosecute where possible as this behaviour is completely unacceptable and callers can face imprisonment or a fine. If a caller repeatedly impacts our ability to answer calls we can stop them from connecting to emergency services for 8 hours. However, we have to treat every 999 call as genuine until we can rule it out.”

Also in this episode viewers will see call handler Nicole take a call in the 999 control room from a patient having a miscarriage. Nicole gives advice to the patient but after the call, becomes overwhelmed and is consoled by a fellow call handler.

The call has triggered great distress for Nicole and she recalls her own miscarriage, saying: “I didn’t know what to do. I felt like it was my fault; I was lost. I don’t want anyone to feel helpless, the way that I have felt helpless.”

The fly-on-the-wall cameras switch back to following Shyr-Nai and James who are called to a patient who has recently been discharged from a mental health hospital. His living conditions are poor and he has no clean clothes, heating or food.

Shocked by the situation he’s been left in, they decide he needs to be taken back to hospital. James describes feeling helpless that patients like this – who really need care – do not always get help quickly enough, adding: “It’s probably more difficult than ever to decide who is a higher priority than who.”

Daniel Elkeles, London Ambulance Service Chief Executive, said:

“Thankfully hoax calls aren’t common but this episode shows their devastating impact: they waste time and resources but worse than that they delay care for those patients who really need us.

“But despite the challenges this episode highlights how exceptional our people are.

“From the dispatchers making life or death decisions about where to send ambulances to the call handlers and crews treating patients with care, commitment and compassion.

“This is not an easy job – but viewers will see that it is an extraordinary one and it can be both rewarding and exciting.”

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The latest series of Ambulance will be broadcast every Thursday night on BBC One and will be available on iPlayer.