Managers were called in to help cope with a high number of calls over the New Year period, says Essex Ambulance Service.
Nine senior officers attended incidents to cope with the demand - the Trust received 25 per cent more calls than during the same time last year.
Board members were told the service had seen a snapshot of the expected emergency demand over the millennium holiday period.
Emergency demand increased by two per cent in November and 12 per cent in December compared to last year.
Mid December saw a peak of 650 calls a day which continued into January.
The Trust said £361,000 "winter pressures' money from North and South Essex health authorities had helped alleviate the problem and it used extra vehicles to cope with the demand.
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