THE ambulance service had to declare a ‘major incident’ at the weekend due to the volume of calls it was getting.

Of course, that might be expected over a four-day holiday period when doctors’ surgeries are closed and pharmacies less abundant.

But is also indicative of two things: just how stretched our NHS is and the fact that people need to think hard before they dial 999.

Hard-working staff don’t get the same two-week holiday that many do at this time of year, let’s do our best to make it easier on them.

Save 999 for genuine emergencies.