East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EMAS) declared a critical incident at 2.30pm on Saturday, 27 June 2026, due to sustained pressure on ambulance and NHS services intensified by extreme heat across the region. This declaration highlights serious strains affecting emergency response capabilities and patient care.
EMAS reported a significant rise in 999 call demand over the past 24 hours, compounded by ongoing challenges in hospitals and the impact of this week’s high temperatures. These combined issues forced the Trust to escalate the situation to critical incident status.
The ambulance service is working closely with NHS partners to ease pressures, including faster patient handovers at hospitals to return crews quickly to emergency calls. Efforts are focused on directing patients to appropriate care when cases do not require immediate ambulance intervention.
EMAS stresses that its response remains prioritised for the most serious and life-threatening emergencies despite the growing demand and operational pressures.
The Trust appeals to the public to help alleviate pressure by managing long-term health conditions, taking medications as prescribed, and seeking alternative NHS services such as pharmacies, urgent treatment centres, or GP services for non-life-threatening issues. Information on nearest services is available on the NHS website.
With the current extreme heat escalating risks, EMAS advises people to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary risks that could further burden emergency services.
Originally published by UKNIP.
