A CALDICOT man has been slapped with a two-year criminal behaviour order after wasting more than 34 hours of ambulance service and NHS time.

Jason Monks, 41, made more than 40 nuisance calls to the Welsh Ambulance Service and NHS 111 Wales during a four-month period this year – including 11 in a single day.

He was issued with the behaviour order at Newport Magistrates’ Court on Monday, October 9. It will remain in place until October 9, 2025.

It states that Monks must not contact any emergency service personally or via a third party unless to inform of a genuine life-threatening situation or emergency that requires an immediate response.

It also means he cannot ask for personal details of any ambulance service or NHS employees, whether in person or on the phone.

South Wales Argus: Jason Monks

If Monks breaches any of the conditions, he could face arrest and, if found guilty, may be fined, sentenced to imprisonment, or both.

Sergeant Lisa Parker of Gwent Police said: “We worked closely with the Welsh Ambulance Service and NHS partners in securing this two-year CBO – and it is a major achievement for everyone involved.

“The impact of this type of behaviour is significant in terms of resources, financial costs and potential risks to other people in the wider community who have a genuine need for the ambulance service.”

Mike Jenkins, lead consultant paramedic for the WAS in South East Wales said: “Lots of our frequent callers are genuinely very unwell, but others – many of whom suffer with long-term medical or social problems – don’t always require an emergency response.

“In this case, the Welsh Ambulance Service and NHS 111 Wales spent more than 34 hours managing Monks’ unnecessary calls, often in times of high demand when our services could have been used to help other people in the community.

“Over the course of four months, Monks not only put other patients at risk, but subjected our staff to anti-social behaviour.

“Our staff are here to help people in their time of need and should be able to do so safely, without fear of abuse or assault.

“We welcome the two-year CBO and would ask the public to continue to use our services appropriately and treat emergency workers with respect."