London Fire Brigade becomes the first service in the country to introduce a charging scheme for callouts to false alarms at buildings such as hospitals, airports and student accommodation.
Labor MP for Nhulunbuy, Lynne Walker, says she was aware of the apparent rise in mental health issues, including increased ambulance callouts to incidents of self harm, although "it's not something people want to talk about or put media releases out about".
The hospital, based in the heart of the city, is usually the first to deal with the overindulgence of the city centre's revellers, and paramedics waiting for callouts in the ambulance bays are apprehensive about the night ahead.
Between Monday night and early yesterday, the AA received its highest number of callouts in 25 years as an estimated 2,000 motorists abandoned cars around Basingstoke.
Hikers in the Lake District have been warned not to rely on mobile phones to plot their route on the fells, as mountain rescuers in the national park voice concern about the current spike in callouts.
The number of callouts for boiler-related problems increased by 72 per cent from the first week of September to the first week of October, the AA reported this week.
Coastguards responded to 22,000 callouts last year and made hundreds of rescues.
Stornoway's rescue helicopter alone clocked up more than 200 callouts, its busiest year ever.
Three of the callouts were for women having difficulties with pregnancy, according to information released by East Midlands Ambulance Service under the Freedom of Information Act.
An eight-week trial period in other areas saw a 32 per cent reduction in violent crime and a 66 per cent drop in the number of callouts related to people being drunk and disorderly.
It comes as the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team in North Wales also reported last month as the busiest ever, and warned that half the callouts could have been easily avoided.
