Abusive Nottinghamshire Caller Costs NHS Thousands Of Pounds

23 January 2019, 09:24 | Updated: 23 January 2019, 15:49

East Midlands Ambulance Service say they're pleased to have two successful convictions after one abusive caller from Nottinghamshire cost the NHS £25,000 in abusive calls.

It's after a man from Nottinghamshire was given a 6 month conditional sentence and ordered to pay East Midlands Ambulance Service £400.

Thomas Exhall, from Mansfield Woodhouse, has appeared in court after making 344 calls to East Midlands Ambulance Service in 6 months and would often be intoxicated.

He often verbally abused 999 call handlers and ambulance crews who attended him.

If he was taken to hospital he would often discharge himself before he was seen only to go home and call 999 again.

Another frequent caller from Swadlincote called between Christmas and New Year, saying she was bored.

When she realised her number had been blocked, she went to buy different sim cards for her phone. 

One of her false calls led to over a minute delay in getting to a child in cardiac arrest; she was handed an 18 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £165 in fines.

Deborah Powell, Frequent Caller Lead for EMAS, said: "We would urge people again to make the right 999 call and only phone us in a life-threatening emergency.

"Our staff come to work to save lives and help people, not to be abused. We will continue to work with police to prosecute those who misuse our service to ensure that the support is there for those who need it in a real medical emergency."