A WOMAN who cost the NHS almost £15,000 after making 585 nuisance calls to the ambulance and 111 service is to be sentenced later this month.

Julie Stoney, 55, of Clapham Street, Denholme, pleaded guilty to ringing both services from her mobile phone on the occasions in question between July 27, 2017, and March 22 this year.

The NHS issued warnings to the defendant but they were ignored and it made an official complaint to the police.

Prosecuting, Nadine Clough told Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court yesterday that Stoney had made excessive and unreasonable use of the NHS emergency numbers, calling 999 on 391 occasions and the 111 helpline service on 194 occasions.

“Of the 391 calls to 999, a paramedic and ambulance resource was sent to her address 25 times and she refused to travel on 23 of them. When she did travel to hospital she left before being assessed,” said Ms Clough.

The Bench was told that Stoney had mental health issues through suffering from anxiety and depression and was suffering from significant alcohol misuse at the time the calls were being made.

Ms Clough said the NHS had broken the costs incurred down to £3,104 for calls to NHS 111; £1,371 to the 999 number, £5,354 for calls requiring telephone assessment from clinicians; face-to-face assessment came to just over £4,500 and for the occasions when Stoney was taken to hospital the cost came to £471.88.

Ms Clough said she could not explain how the figures were reached.

On March 22 this year Stoney called the numbers on 11 occasions to report the same problem.

In mitigation, Sarah Carter said her client was deeply sorry for her actions and that since March 22 had not contacted the service at all and had abstained from alcohol completely in that time.

“She is very sorry for her behaviour. She had genuine concerns that there was something wrong which were exacerbated by drink.

“The calls were not malicious and have come to an end,” said Mrs Carter.

The Crown Prosecution Service had applied for a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) to be issued but the wording was being contested by the defence.

Sentencing was adjourned with unconditional bail until August 17 for the preparation of pre-sentence reports and to finalise the contested CBO.