This country and it's emergency services need to get a backbone. Emergency responses from ANY quarter should not become an automatic right just because the government of the day decides such a promise will be a vote winner. Ambulance Services in particular, in my experience, need to be able to protect themselves from abuses of the 999 system and should be able to refuse to provide it's services where it suspects that it is being abused - ie: regular callers or 26 y/o males at 3am with a sore throat. As someone has mentioned, public education is sorely lacking. As is education that some form of penalty would result if users abuse the system. Gawd if only THAT were true. But I reckon public education needs to be furthered on beyond telling them when they should phone for an ambulance, as I firmly believe abusers of the system do not care one iota either way whether they abuse it or not. It is, IMHO, increasingly apparent that those who live and work in this country (in addition to those who are allowed to apply for residency here) are becoming unable, much less unwilling, to look after themselves. And it seems it is those, in increasing numbers, who are providing the emergency services with the bulk of their wasted time, efforts and provisions of aid. It is costing us taxpayers money and costing this country and it's useful inhabitants an ability to provide sensible timely solutions to emergency situations as and when they will unfortunately arrive on someone's doorstep.