Ambulance bosses are praising staff for their incredible efforts during one of the busiest weekends of the year so far.

A combination of Halloween, Diwali, a payday weekend and an extra hour due to clock change meant the ambulance service dealt with hundreds of additional call compared to an average Sunday.

The Trust received 694 calls across the Black Country during Sunday, with a total of 3,591 throughout their coverage area. The volume saw control room staff and front-line crews work the third busiest day of the year so far, beaten only by New Years’ Day (3,807) and the 19^th July (3,797) when temperatures soared across the Region. Mark Gough, Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer, said:

“The combination of a payday weekend, the clock change and various celebrations meant we had to put additional resources on to cope with the expected extra demand.

"Despite the number of 999 calls, staff worked incredibly hard to ensure patients continued to receive excellent care."