AMBULANCE bosses have enlisted help from the military amid an unprecedented demand for services.

South Western Ambulance Service, which declared a critical incident due to "extreme pressures" on its services in May, says the high levels of demand in recent months are due to a variety of reasons.

These include more people being out and about and visiting the region, and more favourable weather conditions.

Wayne Darch, assistant director of operations at South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT), said: "With the NHS in the South West facing increasing demand we are using tried and tested methods to alleviate pressures on services so everyone will continue to get the care they need.

"This includes a small number of military personnel to help us get more of our vehicles back on the road, getting people the urgent care and treatment they need sooner.

"If you are worried about your health but it is not an emergency, please use 111 online to be directed to the best service for your needs.”

SWASFT says it has regularly been dealing with in excess of 3,000 emergency incidents per day, which equates to more than two new incidents every minutes.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party has called for “urgent” help for ambulance services across England.

The move comes as latest official figures show the ambulance service nationwide answered its highest number of 999 calls ever last month – more than one million – and had its highest ever number of callouts for life-threatening conditions.

According to figures published by NHS England, the mean average for category one response times – which it classes as calls from people with life-threatening illnesses or injuries – was eight minutes 33 seconds in July.

This was the longest time since 2017-18, the statistical note says.

In a letter to Health Secretary Sajid Javid, Labour said NHS services are “stretched to breaking point” and that the armed forces should be used to support ambulance services “if necessary”.

In the letter, Labour’s shadow health minister, Justin Madders, said: “NHS services are stretched to breaking point in the worst summer crisis on record leaving people waiting longer for help in pain and distress. Demand will only rise as we head towards Winter and the current pressures on the NHS are unsustainable.

“I am asking you to urgently put in place additional support for ambulance services in England, including drawing on support from the armed services if necessary, to ensure they can give patients the very best care.”

Mr Madders said he was aware of examples from across the country of long waits for calls to be answered or ambulances to arrive.

Earlier this month University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) said ambulance admissions had risen by nine per cent since 2019

Health officials said the two emergency departments at the Royal Bournemouth and Poole Hospitals had seen “record demand” in recent months.

A UHD spokesman said: “These increases could be due to a variety of factors, including more people visiting the area as they choose to holiday at home this year and becoming unwell, and people putting off accessing medical help due to the pandemic who are now seeking it.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are committed to supporting ambulance crews who work tirelessly to respond to emergencies every day and there are hundreds of new ambulances on the roads across the country thanks to our investments.

“We are providing a record amount of funding to the NHS, with an extra £29 billion this year alone to support health and care services, including £1 billion to help tackle the backlog that has built up during the pandemic.”