BBC Traitors star and NHS doctor warns 'do this' to people who call 999

An NHS doctor and star of BBC show The Traitors has urged people to follow a few simple steps as they wait for an ambulance. Talking on BBC Morning Live, it was revealed that over 30,000 emergency calls for an ambulance are made every single day in England alone.

While times the ambulance will get to you will vary based on where you are and what the issue is, doctor Kasim "Kas" Ahmed explained that each country has their own system. He shared: "What happens when you call 999 is you're put through to a call handler whose job is to figure out how urgent the situation is.

"Depending on how urgent it is from what you said to them, that will lead to your call being categorised. The way the categories work between the four countries are slightly different.

"For example, in Scotland and Wales there’s a colour-based system. In England in Northern Ireland, it’s a number-based system."

Called 999? Do this...

So what can you do as you wait for help to arrive? Dr Kas noted that there are several things you can do. For example, if you or the person who needs help is inside, you should make the space as clean and clear as possible.

Create space

The expert, from Cambridge, asked: "Can you move furniture around? Is there the option of making the access to get from the front door to the patient as open as possible?

You should also remove anything that’s a trap hazard like children and pets and make sure that the patient is as safe as possible. The doctor further warned that "constant reassurance is so important" and reminding the patient that you are with them by saying "I’m still here" is an underrated step in keeping the situation calm.

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Lights on

To help the ambulance locate you, you can leave a light on in the hall with the front door open. This is ideal as it helps the ambulance find where you are easily without the need for you to stand outside - especially if you are alone with the patient and do not want to leave them.

Medication

In a warning, Dr Kas added: "If you know someone who takes multiple medications, if you know where they keep their medications and you can keep them to hand it’s really useful, especially for the doctor who is on the other end of the ambulance call. If someone comes with them with a bag of medication or with their prescription sheet or even a print out from my GP, from my perspective as a doctor on the other side, I can take a piece of paper I know exactly what’s going on with that patient and their background - and that can really help make sure that the best possible care is delivered as urgently as possible."

He also urges people to check the person's wallet as they may keep a card in their with an illnesses or medications they are taking. In his last helpful pointers, he urged people to find out where their local defibrillator could be. He also urged people to stay calm if they are ever asked to put someone in the recovery position or perform CPR.

He concluded by reassuring viewers, saying that when it comes to CPR: "Call handlers will talk you through it. You will be on the phone to 999 and there will be someone who is there telling you exactly what to do.

"The important thing and that situation is that you have to keep doing it until the point the paramedics come. So if there’s someone with you that you can switch with that’s really helpful."

You can watch the full BBC Morning Live here. What did you think of the episode? Let us know in the comments.