AN ambulance supremo today paid tribute to East Lancashire's mercy men who dealt with a record number of 999 calls during the millennium celebrations.

David Hill, chief executive of Lancashire Ambulance NHS Trust, said the service coped with demand because of the meticulous plans which were put into place over 18 months.

Calls peaked between 1am and 4am on New Year's Day when more than 100 were made, mainly for alcohol-related problems.

The ambulance service took 525 calls between midnight and 6am - 25 per cent up on last year's record total.

Mr Hill, said: "Thanks to the very meticulous plans we have been putting in place over the last 18 months the service coped extremely well with the increased demand on the night, supported by the voluntary services of St John Ambulance, British Red Cross and the MedAlert team of emergency doctors.

"I am extremely grateful for the efforts and hard work our staff put in, both in the preparation and planning for this unique evening, to make sure the people of Lancashire were well cared for."

The ambulance service stayed "healthy" and free from the Millennium Bug. "The investment in IT and communications equipment resulted in a very smooth transfer at midnight on Millennium Eve," added Mr Hill. "All the planning and preparatory work paid dividends in ensuring that there were no disruptions to our service over this critical period."

A "health cell" control centre was set up at the ambulance headquarters near Preston to co-ordinate information from all health services in Lancashire and target any problem spots quickly and effectively.

"I am proud of the way the whole service pulled together to provide a very good service to patients throughout what was always likely to be a particularly busy period," Mr Hill said.

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