People urged to only dial 999 in serious emergency as Sussex ambulance service hit with 'critical' IT issue

The South East Coast Ambulance Service declared a critical incident last night (November 10) following IT issues which resulted in the loss of its Computer Aided Dispatch, (CAD), meaning 999 operators had moved to a back-up telephone systems.

Computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems are utilized by dispatchers, call- takers, and 999 operators to prioritize and record incident calls, identify the status and location of responders in the field, and effectively dispatch responder personnel.

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A South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) spokesperson said: “We have tonight, (10 November), declared a Critical Incident following IT issues which resulted in the loss of our Computer Aided Dispatch, (CAD), and the need to move to our back-up telephone systems.

“While we are working hard with our IT providers to find a solution to the issue, and have implemented well-rehearsed contingency plans, the loss of the CAD, along with the high demand we are facing across our region tonight, is placing significant pressure on our services.

“We continue answer calls and respond to patients but urge people to only call 999 in the event of a serious emergency and to make use of services including NHS 111 Online for help and advice.

“We would like to thank our staff and volunteers for their hard work and commitment at this challenging time and assure the public that we are doing everything we can to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”