London Ambulance Service has busiest ever November

London Ambulance Service (LAS) had its busiest ever November on record, with 999 call handlers receiving 192,600 calls, over 13,000 more than in the same month last year¹. The service published the figures on 3 December 2025 and again referred to them on 30 December 2025¹.

The service said the recent spike in call numbers was due to the combined impact of wintry weather and rising rates of viral infections and respiratory illnesses, including flu, and that these were expected to rise further in the weeks ahead¹. Over the last weekend of November, LAS took around 7,500 calls each day for three consecutive days, figures it described as normally more typical of New Year's Eve¹. Its daily breakdown was:

The Thursday, Friday and Saturday totals were the three busiest days of 2025 in a row, compared with around 5,500 calls on a typically busy day, and Friday's total was more than 20 per cent higher than the previous Friday (6,392)¹.

Dr Fenella Wrigley, LAS Chief Medical Officer, said:

The service said it had been working with partners in the capital since the summer, earlier than ever before, on a city-wide approach to winter¹. Its Winter Plan, which went live in the week before the 3 December announcement, includes putting 460 ambulances out on the road during peak demand, more clinicians giving advice and treating patients over the phone to avoid busy emergency departments, and closer working with hospitals to reduce delays handing over patients¹.

Why it matters for households

The pressure falls on London households who need urgent help: the service said its 999 control rooms were taking a number of calls from people with flu or similar viral illnesses, and that it was trying to reach everyone who needs help as quickly as possible¹. LAS urged the public to manage simple flu symptoms by seeking advice from a local pharmacy or NHS 111 online, and Dr Wrigley said most healthy people recover from flu with rest, fluids and products available at a pharmacy, with 111 online the first point of contact for those still worried after speaking to a pharmacist¹.

On 30 December 2025 the service said it traditionally sees up to 2,000 more calls than the daily average on New Year's Eve, and that between 1am and 2am on New Year's Day last year a 999 call was received every 10 seconds². Almost 140 additional staff were to work that night, with more ambulances on the road and extra people in control rooms and clinical hubs². Strategic Commander Becky Owen asked the public to save 999 for life-threatening emergencies and to use NHS 111 online for urgent but non-life-threatening problems, noting that many urgent treatment centres stay open 24 hours a day for conditions including sprains, broken limbs and minor scalds and burns, and that the NHS pharmacy finder shows which pharmacies are open².

What happens next

LAS said the rise in viral infections and respiratory illnesses, including flu, was expected to rise further in the weeks ahead¹. Its New Year's Eve arrangements, including the additional staff and the opening of its special operations centre, were set out ahead of 31 December 2025².