Silent Nights supports paramedics

Every ambulance station in England will receive a copy of Classic FM’s new Christmas album, released today, to provide paramedic teams with an antidote to the stress and strain of their busiest period.

Nigel Hess, who has arranged popular Christmas carols for piano and strings for the album Silent Nights, says:
‘‘Traditional Christmas music can strike a powerful chord within us, evoking memories of childhood, family and peace. Christmas is a time of giving and these emergency teams make huge sacrifices for the nation. I hope this simple gesture goes a small way to saying thank you to these heroes.’’

According to the London Ambulance Service, the Christmas period is the busiest time of the year for emergency service staff, and over the last five years, alcohol-related calls have increased by 25%, putting a strain on frontline services. NHS data shows that more than 80,000 people require hospital treatment at Christmas for festive-related injuries, with a wide range of causes; from falls whilst putting up decorations and electric shocks from faulty fairy lights, to hot fat burns and knife injuries in the kitchen.

A spokesperson for London Ambulance Service says, “Christmas is a busy time for us, and we hope that staff who are working over the festive period and patients will get a chance to enjoy the CDs.”

The world premiere play of Silent Nights will take place just after 10am in Simon Bates' programme on Monday 29 November.