THE North West Ambulance service have confirmed they have not asked staff to cancel any holiday leave during the current crisis.

The levels of activity at ambulance stations - known as 'REAP' levels, are published online throughout the day, leading several posts on social media to suggest that ambulance driver leave may be cancelled.

In a statement today Ged Blezard, NWAS's director of operations, said: "REAP levels are nationally set measurements of activity, used by all ambulance services in the UK.

"The higher the number (one to four), the more pressure the service is under. Normal levels are deemed to be at stages one to two.

"For the duration of the pandemic, NWAS has been operating between two to three and today has taken the decision to escalate to REAP Level 4 – extreme pressure.

"This is due to the extremely high levels of activity in the North West region, the pressure on local hospitals and the trust operating while some of its workforce are isolating or shielding.

"REAP levels can change throughout the day and the trust will be carefully monitoring the effects of the escalation which is hoped will help manage the increase in demand.

"The public can help us by only calling 999 in serious or life-threatening emergencies, checking their symptoms on 111 online and acting within the Government Covid guidelines by only travelling when necessary, shopping only for essential items and staying home."

999 services have seen leave cancelled in the recent past, when in 2019, leave was cancelled for thousands of police officers in 26 forces across the country – in the event of a no-deal Brexit.