As a sore throat is not technically life threatening or even life changing, why call for an emergency ambulance?? Supermarkets do paracetamol, throat lozenges often with trained pharmacists behind the counter. They stay open late or 24 hours. If you can call 999, you're capable of calling a cab, if you have a car maybe driving may be a good idea. Powers of rational thought don't really come into it, common sense and a sense of perspective do. If you do call for a sore throat please don't be offended if we turn up 3 -4 hours after your call (without any other symptoms that are life threatening you will be the lowest priority) Of course you could ring back and say you have DIB or chest pain in which case someone will be with you in instant, please try not to be miffed if the ambulance crew are slightly 'off' with you when it transpires your DIB is none existent. Apologies for the rant, I've had a week of nights featuring many calls that didn't require anything more than a plaster. The only one where I was required was a status ep, we arrived 17 mins after the call after driving 7 miles from someone with a verruca!