West Midlands Ambulance Service faced a barrage of 999 emergency calls after the final whistle in the England vs Croatia match as some fans struggled to come to terms with the loss.
Call numbers rose by 15% compared to the same time the previous week with over 1100 calls received between 9.30pm and 4.30am.
Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer, Nathan Hudson, who was in control of the Trust, said:
Almost immediately after the final whistle, the phone lines lit up.
We were called to over 40 reports of assaults in the aftermath of the match. We also dealt with a number of serious RTCs and other drink related incidents with people falling over, drink fueled cases of bravado leading to injuries. Sadly, we also saw a number of cases of domestic violence.
Significant Cases
An ambulance and a paramedic officer were sent to reports of a large fight in Beacon Road, Great Barr, Birmingham at 9.40pm. In total, 8 calls were received about the disturbance. A man in his 40s was taken to hospital was facial injuries and numerous abrasions. A second man who was being assessed walked off after becoming aggressive towards the crew.
The Trust was called to reports of a man who had been ‘surfing’ on top of a moving car in Barn lane, Olton, Solihull at 9.50pm. An ambulance and a paramedic officer were sent to the scene. A man in his 40s was treated for head and arm injuries. He was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.
The Trust was called to the canal opposite Walkabout in Broad Street in Birmingham at 10.30pm to reports of 16 people having jumped into the water. A paramedic officer and an ambulance were sent to the scene. After assessing those there, they were all discharged on scene.
Nathan Hudson, added:
The high levels of demand continued through until around 4.30am before returning to levels that we would normally have expected to see.
The Trust had put in place an extensive plan to deal with the evening with a large number of additional crews, managers and doctors on shift. The planning paid dividends with the Trust able to cope with the significant rise in demand exceptionally well. I would like to thank all of the staff who came in on days off to assist us.
