Notts family dialled 999 for an ambulance 500 times in one year

A Nottinghamshire family dialled 999 for an ambulance more than 500 times in just one year, shocking figures have shown.

The statistics have been released by health chiefs to show how nuisance calls to 999 are putting a strain on services and putting people who genuinely need ambulances at risk.

In Sheffield, one family made 2,077 calls to 999 last year - with only five of them warranting medical attention.

Experts are now warning that nuisance calls are putting the lives of genuine callers in danger as makes it harder for them to reach those in need.

The latest NHS figures show it costs around £8 to answer each call to 999 and £255 to take a patient to hospital.

LIST OF THE TOP 10 HOMES WHO CALLED 999 THE MOST LAST YEAR

1. Sheffield - 2,077 (86 ambulances dispatched, patient taken to hospital five times)

2. Portsmouth - 1,714 (13 ambulances dispatched, patient taken to hospital once)

3. Doncaster - 838 (293 ambulances dispatched, patient taken to hospital 114 times)

4. Maidstone - 595 (60 ambulances dispatched, patient taken to hospital five times)

5. Soham - 555 (200 ambulances dispatched, patient taken to hospital 81 times)

6. Stevenage - 555 (172 ambulances dispatched, patient taken to hospital 23 times)

7. Hove - 521 (24 ambulances dispatched, patient taken to hospital 14 times)

8. Nottinghamshire - 514 (no further data)

9. Swansea - 511 (118 ambulances dispatched, patient taken to hospital 10 times

10. Southend - 473 (39 ambulances dispatched, patient taken to hospital 16 times)