A FORMER 999 call handler has urged people to stop making trivial calls after witnessing first-hand how they left the ambulance service struggling to cope with demand.

Karen Frederick thought she had landed her 'dream job' when she became a call handler at the Bicester hub for South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) in 2015.

The 48-year-old, who lives in the town, was passionate about helping others and had previously worked as an emergency medical technician.

But as the 'pressure cooker situation' boiled over she would answer hundreds of calls a day and have to apologise to patients waiting hours for an ambulance.

She eventually left the job in May.

Some of the calls were from people asking for help with trivial issues such as removing contact lenses and tampons.

She said: "It is not uncommon on a shift for people to be waiting several hours for an ambulance.

"What I found so frustrating and heartbreaking was having to explain to people who are left waiting that an ambulance is not on its way anytime soon.

"We had a board in the office which showed the number of calls that were stacking up, waiting to be answered.

"That could be someone who is having a cardiac arrest, just waiting to be answered and you are on the phone to someone who is not in a life-threatening situation."

Aside from pumping more money and resources into the ambulance trust, which she said 'is doing its absolute best', Ms Frederick believes that people need to know when they should be calling 999 and non-emergency 111.

She said: "We will get calls where someone has cut their finger or hand quite badly.

"They want a paramedic to come out to see it but paramedics are not able to treat and close wounds.

"People need to realise that sometimes calling 999 might not be the best solution for them."

Ms Frederick, who has helped to deliver nine babies over the phone, also criticised NHS England's plans to scrap current ambulance response targets.

The new classification would see only eight per cent of calls defined as life-threatening – including when a person is not breathing or their heart has stopped.

It was revealed last week that stroke patients could be waiting up to 40 minutes for an ambulance following the overhaul.

She added: "My worry is, when we dealt with calls that were classed as non life-threatening, ambulances would quite often be diverted from their call to life-threatening calls that would come in.

"Would this happen to stroke and heart patients who will no longer be in the life-threatening category? [under the new classification]

"Will an ambulance be on its way and then be suddenly diverted elsewhere? I worry this will be detrimental for patients."

SCAS provides emergency care for four million people in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire, covering about 3,554 square miles.

Trust spokeswoman Michelle Archer said SCAS has a demand management process in place that is activated when the service is under pressure.

She said: "All calls are assessed using NHS Pathways and all high risk patients such as those requiring specialist advice from call handlers, for example CPR advice or child birth instructions, are managed as normal irrespective of demand levels.

"Only low acuity calls requiring routine advice are shortened and the call handlers explain to these callers that they will not remain on the line and need to take the next 999 call.

"This ensures that those callers waiting to be answered are dealt with as quickly as possible to reduce the risk for those waiting who could be in a life-threatening situation."