South Western Ambulance Service Trust (Swast) has reported a 7.8% increase in incidents this summer compared to the previous year. Between 1 April and 23 August 2026, Swast responded to 466,165 incidents.
The ambulance service, which covers the largest geographic area in England, typically responds to around 3,200 incidents daily at this time of year. However, on one day in June, which was its busiest day ever, Swast responded to 4,350 incidents and received more than 5,200 calls to its 999 control room. Temperatures on that day reached a record June high of 36.7C.
Common conditions associated with prolonged hot weather include falls, breathing difficulties, unconsciousness, and fainting. Adrian South, paramedic and deputy director of clinical care at Swast, noted that while the number of life-threatening emergencies has decreased due to public health campaigns and GP work, the role of emergency care is now more encompassing across the urgent health spectrum.
South also stated that attending four calls in a 10-hour period is typical for most paramedics. He added that 41.7% of patients treated by Swast from April to August this year were taken to an emergency department, a reduction from 20 years ago when almost every patient went to hospital.