The ambulance control centre is prioritising emergency cases

Calls about more minor ailments or illnesses are being handled by medical staff who can advise on the best course of action over the phone.

Previously all 999 calls had to be treated as emergencies, but now the ambulance service can prioritise.

The clinical desk is based at the East Sussex control centre in Lewes.

The service was started as a way to address the 3,000-plus non-urgent calls received by Sussex Ambulance every month.

They concern "relatively minor ailments like cut fingers or earache", which do not require ambulance attendance.

The response from the public has been quite good Paramedic Steve Andrews

Paramedic Steve Andrews said: "It's about patients receiving the right treatment at the right time.

"Offering a more appropriate response to minor conditions means we can focus our efforts on patients with immediately life-threatening conditions who need immediate help.

"The response from the public has been quite good," Mr Andrews added.

"When they realise we're not actually sending an ambulance some of them have questioned why, but once we've explained the reasons they're quite happy with the advice that they've been given."

Less than half the calls taken so far ended up needing an emergency or non-emergency ambulance.