IT was a busy Bank Holiday weekend for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust with more than 7,500 emergency 999 calls being made.

In total, EEAST received 7,851 calls from August 24-26, an increase of more than four per cent compared to last year’s August Bank Holiday weekend.

Of these calls, 3,794 people were taken to hospital. Calls ranged from overdoses, to serious road traffic collisions, to cardiac arrests.

Marcus Bailey, interim consultant paramedic for EEAST, said: “We received a variety of calls over the Bank Holiday including 14 calls for burn related incidents, 57 for cardiac arrests, and 182 calls for suspected strokes.

“The damp weather ensured we didn’t receive any calls relating to heat exposure, but we did attend 155 road traffic collision; 27 up on last year, and including a double fatality on the A47. The biggest reason for people calling us was for falls: with almost 2,000 calls being made.”

EEAST receive more than 2,000 emergency 999 calls every day. For advice on when to call 999, visit eastamb.nhs.uk/about-us/999-service

To keep up to date with incidents attended by EEAST, follow them on Twitter at @eastenglandamb and @EEAST_Media