A review of the Metropolitan Police Service's 999 call-answering times has found that they are slipping, with some callers waiting up to 20 minutes for an operator. The review, conducted by the police's own watchdog, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire Rescue Services (HMICFRS), found that the average time for an operator to answer an emergency call is around 10 seconds. However, in some cases, callers were left waiting for up to 20 minutes before being connected with a member of staff.
The review, which was published on Wednesday, found that the Met Police's 999 call system is struggling to cope with the high volume of calls it receives. The force received over 6.3 million calls to its 999 number in the past year, with an average of around 17,000 calls per day. The review found that the Met Police's call-handling systems are not able to keep up with this volume, leading to significant delays in answering emergency calls.
HMICFRS has warned that the delays in answering 999 calls could put lives at risk. The organisation has called on the Met Police to take immediate action to address the issue and ensure that emergency calls are answered promptly. The review has also recommended that the Met Police invest in new call-handling technology to improve its response to emergency calls.
The Met Police has confirmed that it will be implementing the recommendations made by HMICFRS and will be working to improve its response to emergency calls. The force has said that it is committed to providing the best possible service to the public and will do everything it can to address the issue of delayed 999 call-answering times.
The review's findings have been welcomed by campaigners who have been calling for improvements to the Met Police's 999 call system. 'It's unacceptable that people are having to wait up to 20 minutes for an operator to answer their emergency call,' said one campaigner. 'The Met Police needs to take immediate action to address this issue and ensure that emergency calls are answered promptly.'