Unfortunately, we live under the yoke of Idiot Blair's Human Rights Act: Every tosser of whichever nationality, creed , colour, religion, sexual persuasion, hobby, [I could go on] believes it is their RIGHT to have an ambulance. You may be interested to know this: LAS have Clinical Telephone Advisors who re-triage green (ie low priority calls) over the phone. They ring the caller back (can be a family member or the patient - but they MUST be able to speak to the patient), and attempt to initially get more info, then either: a. ask sector to send an amb, b. arrange other transport (such as PTS), c. arrange a GP visit, d. give "home care" advice or e. institute the much-vaunted "No Send Policy". This is a policy whereby the CTAs explain to the person calling that there is NO clinical need for an ambulance, and one WILL NOT be sent. During the period 2nd - 9th September (one week) the No Send rule was brought into play......... ONCE. LAS gets around 4000 calls a day these days, thats 28,000 calls in the week I mentioned. No Send instituted ONCE. That is why people having heart attacks, epileptic fits; little old ladies on the floor for 12 hours, people having CVAs etc wait ages for ambs. Rant Over