St John Ambulance in attendance at central locations

Revellers who need medical help during London’s New Year’s Eve celebrations are being urged to use St John Ambulance treatment centres wherever possible and avoid making 999 calls unless absolutely necessary.

Katherine Eaton, Events Manager for London St John Ambulance, said: ‘Our highly skilled team consists of more than 200 doctors, nurses, paramedics and first aiders, all trained and ready to deal with anything from a cut finger to a cardiac arrest.

‘If you need medical help make your way, if you can, to one of our treatment centres. In an emergency ask for help - or get a friend or passer-by to do it for you - from a steward, security official, first aid volunteer or police officer. Only dial 999 as a last resort.’

The St John Ambulance team will staff 13 treatment centres at the following locations:

• Trafalgar Square (west side)
• Charing Cross Station
• Parliament Square /Great George Street
• Belvedere Road / Westminster Bridge Road
• The Mall (near the Duke of York Steps)
• Whitehall Court
• Embankment Place
• Temple Place / Surrey Street
• BFI IMAX Cinema
• Savoy Place / Embankment
• Waterloo Station
• Leicester Square
• Piccadilly Circus

Teams of cycling first aiders from both St John Ambulance and the London Ambulance Service will be used to reach casualties in the early evening, as the crowds are building, with special bikes carrying medical gases, defibrillators and other life saving first aid equipment.

Another 20 medical response teams from both organisations will be out among the dense crowds on foot, ready to transfer casualties to the nearest treatment centre when necessary.

Last year the two organisations handled an unprecedented number of 999 calls on New Year’s Eve. Together they treated 506 casualties and transferred 49 to hospital.

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December 29, 2013