Ah, but if the politicians put out a strong message "don't call unless it's a realy emergency", then the public might think that the service is in trouble. Which they have already said it isn't. I'm not a medical person, but I would imagine that if someone called for an ambulance with "difficulty breathing" that they should be intubated as soon as the ambulance arrives - just to be on the safe side. Maybe catheterized as well.