By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 2:35 PM on 2nd January 2011
Territorial Army set up field hospital for binge drinkers
800 calls an hour to emergency services
Revellers up and down the country drank in the New Year causing mayhem and a bloody start to 2011.
Britain's emergency services struggled to cope with a record number of call-outs to the booze-soaked streets.
This was the scene in many cities as police stopped drunken fights and paramedics treated revellers who had collapsed after having too much to drink.
A girl lies slumped on steps on Broad St after New Year celebrations in Birmingham City Centre
End of the party: Revellers watch as a man is arrested and led away by police in Broad St
Many women were treated after falling unconscious on the street, collapsing onto stairs or simply lying on the pavement.
Police officers made hundreds of arrests for drunkeness and assault as they broke up fights. In Devon and Cornwall,160 people were held for drink-related incidents.
The London Ambulance Service had its busiest night on record, with control room staff taking an average of almost 11 calls every minute in the early hours.
By 4am, operators had answered 2,639 emergency calls, the majority of which were alcohol-related.
A policeman stands over an unconscious woman in Newcastle which has a reputation for being one of the busiest party and clubbing destinations in the North
Eating out: Revellers in Newcastle tuck in as they have fun during the New year celebrations in the city
At the busiest point, 800 emergency calls were received an hour - an increase of 400 per cent on an average night.
Jason Killens, London Ambulance Service NHS Trust's deputy director of operations, said: 'Demand on the service in the early hours was extremely high.
'A lot of that extra demand was because of alcohol-related calls and inappropriate use of the service - people shouldn't be calling 999 simply because they're drunk.
'We had to prioritise calls to make sure the most seriously ill and injured patients got help as quickly as possible - that meant more patients than normal with minor illnesses and injuries were given advice over the telephone rather than automatically being sent an ambulance.'
The service had anticipated the surge in demand and increased numbers of frontline staff working across the capital.
Extra resources including alternative response vehicles - also known as "booze buses" - were also used.
Food for thought: Three girls grab a burger and fries as they celebrate on St Mary Street, Cardiff
Helping hand: A girl sits on the pavement as a friend comforts her before police in Cardiff step in to give assistance
The Metropolitan Police, who had 3,000 officers on duty, said 77 arrests were made during the capital's celebrations.
The majority (24) were for public order offences, while 16 revellers were arrested for assault and five for sexual offences.
A team of 12 Territorial Army soldiers set up a field hospital in Cambridge to provide medical treatment for binge drinkers.
They had their work cut out early on as dozens of drunken groups of barely-clothed girls and shouting young men leered at the tent and the soldiers.
The first casualty was a 19-year-old girl who needed help because she had twisted her back while reaching for a taxi door handle.
By midnight the giant tent set up in the middle of the city centre stank of vomit and stale booze.
Revellers, mainly young girls, were sat on chairs to sober up while paramedics with defibrillators and even saline drips were on hand for any serious emergencies.
Major Marion Wilson said without the army these drunken girls would be left wandering the streets alone and others clogging up much needed hospital beds with minor drink-related injuries.
A young woman is carried by her boyfriend on Wind Street, Swansea. as partygoers flocked to the main bar and club district of the city
In the West Midlands, the ambulance service dealt with 2,050 calls between 8pm and 5am.
A spokesman said: "The number of 999 calls steadily increased toward midnight, but as with previous years, it was from the start of the New Year that the numbers began to increase more rapidly with the peak coming between 2am and 4am.'
The service set up temporary minor injury units in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury and Walsall in a bid to ease pressure on accident and emergency units across the county.
In Birmingham's Broad Street, 35 people were treated, many for drink-induced injuries.
Officer in charge Tracey Morrell said:' Our patients mainly had cuts, bumps, bruises and head injuries.'
West Midlands Police said the force had received 1,200 calls by 3.30am. Superintendent Matt Ward said: 'As expected, this was a busy night with lots going on across the force.
'The vast majority of partygoers appeared to have a great night out, with no major issues.'
The Scottish Ambulance Service had its busiest Hogmanay, dealing with more than 3,000 calls between midnight and 7am today.This was a 47 per cent increase on last year's figure.
Hundreds of thousands welcomed in 2011 with a bang, packing the streets to watch spectacular firework displays light up the skies of London and Edinburgh.
An estimated 250,000 party-goers congregated around The London Eye for the capital's pyrotechnics extravaganza, while around 80,000 people attended the annual Hogmanay party in Edinburgh.
And the celebrations will continue today with half a million people expecting to flock to Westminster for the 25th New Year's Day parade.
Lighting up the sky: Thousands lined the banks of the Thames to watch the New Year firework display around the London Eye
Real Englishmen and women do not leave the grounds on NYE...
- Rusty, Surrey, 02/1/2011 15:21
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