0:00:02 > 0:00:05Hello, if you can hear me, but you can't speak, tap on the phone.
0:00:05 > 0:00:0864 million people, 365 days
0:00:08 > 0:00:11and 31 million calls to 999.
0:00:12 > 0:00:17That's the scale of the task faced by Britain's emergency teams.
0:00:17 > 0:00:18And for one exceptional year,
0:00:18 > 0:00:22we'll be following their frontline workers.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26Not just our police, our firefighters and our paramedics.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29We've been with our other critical emergency teams as well.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33Teams we rely on sometimes without ever noticing.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36The specialist teams that keep our railways moving,
0:00:36 > 0:00:40despite the dreaded leaves on the line.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Notting Hill bin men with just seven hours to clean up
0:00:44 > 0:00:46after our liveliest carnival.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53National grid controllers responsible for powering
0:00:53 > 0:00:5620 million homes, 24 hours a day.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00The Greater Manchester Police Dog unit,
0:01:00 > 0:01:04controlling 75,000 fans at the height of the football season.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Life boat crews at Britain's busiest station,
0:01:11 > 0:01:13with just 90 seconds to respond.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20We'll show you how these specialist teams work under pressure
0:01:20 > 0:01:23to protect us from danger on their most demanding days.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28This is the story of one year with our emergency teams.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31A year with the heroes keeping Britain safe.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Tonight it's Autumn. The days are shorter,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48the temperature is plummeting, and it's flood season.
0:01:48 > 0:01:49Ohhhh!
0:01:49 > 0:01:53So we're in Yorkshire and North Wales with the emergency response teams
0:01:53 > 0:01:56battling the worst floods in years.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00We're joining the Cleveland Fire Brigade for their busiest shift
0:02:00 > 0:02:04of the year...Bonfire Night,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07when they receive a six-fold increase in calls.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09Ah, right, thank you. We're on our way.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14And as traffic accidents hit a peak in November,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18we're in the Midlands with one of the country's busiest air ambulances.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Keep your legs straight for me.
0:02:20 > 0:02:21But first...
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Rail travel has undergone a bit of a renaissance in the last few years.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39In fact, over the last decade, it's gone up by 43%.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45We, the British public,
0:02:45 > 0:02:49now take 1.3 billion train journeys every year.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53So with such large numbers of us travelling,
0:02:53 > 0:02:58who are the people whose job it is to keep us safe on the railways?
0:03:00 > 0:03:02It's Wednesday afternoon,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05and here at the Wimbledon signalling centre in the South London,
0:03:05 > 0:03:10nine signal men and women are gearing up for the evening's rush hour.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12There are 800 signalling centres across the country,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16from the one-man signal box with old-fashioned levers,
0:03:16 > 0:03:20to this, a busy signalling centre co-ordinating 2,000 trains
0:03:20 > 0:03:24into London and the south-east of England.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Trains leave Waterloo in the evening peak about every two minutes
0:03:26 > 0:03:29to go to places like Bournemouth, Exeter, Portsmouth,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32about 1,000 passengers on board each train.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Lights on this panel show the path of each train.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40The signallers carefully monitor these lights,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and can contact the train drivers directly.
0:03:45 > 0:03:46Yeah, 12.40 - that's one, two, four, zero.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49As delays occur, they're making instant adjustments
0:03:49 > 0:03:51to the train schedules.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54Train service is good.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00As long as we get people travelling on the railways, safely,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03from point A to point B, that's all that I'm interested in,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05and that's all these guys are interested in.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Now, seeing as it's autumn that we're talking about,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14of course Network Rail has another challenge on its hands -
0:04:14 > 0:04:17these chaps, the commuter's worst nightmare.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22This is a busy station.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Hundreds of thousands of people pass through here every day.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29And yet, I still reckon I will struggle to find anyone
0:04:29 > 0:04:32who has any sympathy for Network Rail
0:04:32 > 0:04:34over their ongoing battle with leaves on the line.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39- An excuse for why trains can't run. - An excuse?
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Do I believe it? Probably not.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Leaves fall in autumn every year. Have done for years on end.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Why is it only a problem fairly recently?
0:04:46 > 0:04:50It's frustrating that you think that leaves can cause such delays,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52it's just leaves on a track at the end of the day,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54it's surely not that hard to clear.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56So, what's going on?
0:04:56 > 0:05:00And why are leaves on the line such a serious headache for Network Rail?
0:05:02 > 0:05:05I'm starting with this man, Dr Neil Strong,
0:05:05 > 0:05:11Network Rail's only arboriculturist. And that means tree and leaf expert.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13When you hear the announcement on the train,
0:05:13 > 0:05:17you just think, "Leaves on the line, that's just pathetic."
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Surely we can deal with a few leaves?
0:05:19 > 0:05:20It's not a leaf on the line.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22You can see from just these trees here,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24you get all those building up
0:05:24 > 0:05:27and you have the pressure of the train wheel,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29squashing those between the wheels and the rails,
0:05:29 > 0:05:33and you end up with some black paste that bakes really hard like Teflon,
0:05:33 > 0:05:34like black ice.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39So they actually end up like a little sort of pate on top,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42- and then that bakes onto the rail itself?- Yeah.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44It's the train equivalent of black ice.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49It makes the rail slippery, and means trains can over-shoot stations.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53But there's another problem.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56The signal that tells control where trains are
0:05:56 > 0:06:00is sent as an electric current through the track itself.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03For the signal system to work,
0:06:03 > 0:06:08there must be a good metal-on-metal contact between train and track.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Leaves on the line can stop that happening.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16If you've got this build-up of leaf material on the rails,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19you're insulating the rails. So basically you run over it
0:06:19 > 0:06:21but the signal doesn't know you've gone past it.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23All the trains are stopped on red
0:06:23 > 0:06:24until we've found the one that's missing,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26and then everybody can be started up gradually.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29It can cause massive delays, cos you can't really start again
0:06:29 > 0:06:31- until you've found your missing train.- Exactly.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33So, effectively, one of our trains is missing.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- You don't know where it is.- Yeah. - Is it before the signal or after?
0:06:36 > 0:06:37Exactly.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42This is no small problem.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Britain has a total of 20,000 miles of rail track,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49enough to reach to Australia and back again.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Quick bit of mental arithmetic for you.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58The average mature tree holds around 300,000 leaves,
0:06:58 > 0:07:03and there are two and a half million trees on or around the rail network.
0:07:03 > 0:07:10That means Network Rail has to deal with 750 billion leaves.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26So, Neil runs a massive maintenance programme.
0:07:26 > 0:07:27Today he's in Cornwall.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30These will hold whatever you previously cut.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32Use the weight of the thing just to push it through.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34With train services halted,
0:07:34 > 0:07:38this team of Network Rail engineers have a short window to remove
0:07:38 > 0:07:42a number of problem trees from a heavily overgrown stretch of line.
0:07:44 > 0:07:45Clears his way through,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48then you can see the wood from the trees, literally.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51And this whole process begins in the skies above us.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55All right, that's on the screen now.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Lovely, yeah.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Because with 20,000 miles of rail track to maintain,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04the easiest way to survey the rail network is from above.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06It's right underneath us.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07All right.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Neil certainly clocks up the air miles.
0:08:09 > 0:08:14Today he's up in skies over Kent, on the hunt for offending vegetation.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18- It's basically hanging down in between trains, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:08:20 > 0:08:21Massive spreadsheets of data...
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Using laser technology mounted on the aircraft,
0:08:24 > 0:08:28Neil then maps all the greenery along the trackside.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33He also helps to create a leaf fall weather forecast,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36issued twice a day through the worst weeks of autumn.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41And that forecast finds its way to the inboxes
0:08:41 > 0:08:45of 30 Autumn Leaf Controllers up and down the country.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Network Rail Autumn Control, Glasgow.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Like Joanne here in Glasgow.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56I'm the Autumn Controller for six, seven weeks of the year.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00There's 17% of the leaves still on the trees at the minute, yeah.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03I don't know who the person is that goes round picking up the leaves
0:09:03 > 0:09:04counting them.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07I mean, I'll drive to work and I'll be like, "Oh, my gosh,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09"look at all these leaves everywhere."
0:09:09 > 0:09:12And I'll go home and I'll say, "Look at that back,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15"look all them leaves. Oh, I'm going to have a busy day tomorrow."
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Yeah, I do. I talk about it, yeah. I tell people about it, yeah.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21You know, everyone in this office doesn't like this time of year.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24They get absolutely overwhelmed with delays.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27People do think it's a bit of a joke, leaves on the line,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30but it really is very serious, you know.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34It really does have a big impact on the train services during autumn.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36PHONE RINGS
0:09:36 > 0:09:37That's my phone.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Network Rail Autumn Control, Glasgow.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45These controllers co-ordinate a huge cleaning effort,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49undertaken by a fleet of more than 50 specialist treatment trains.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57Twice a day each section of track is jet-washed and sprayed
0:09:57 > 0:09:59with a special cleaning agent.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03In the last ten years there's been
0:10:03 > 0:10:07an increase of one million train journeys on our railways.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11The network is packed, but Network Rail still has to find room
0:10:11 > 0:10:14in the autumn schedule for the treatment trains
0:10:14 > 0:10:17to cover 700,000 miles. And it's all to combat
0:10:17 > 0:10:20the dreaded leaves on the line.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35In autumn, there's one night when we light up the gloom.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Up and down Britain, in our cities, towns and back gardens,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Bonfire Night brings out the crowds.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47But for Britain's 50 fire brigades, this national celebration
0:10:47 > 0:10:49is the most challenging night of the year.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Lighting up their switchboards like our skies.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02There are almost 2,000 fire stations up and down the country
0:11:02 > 0:11:05manned by 43,000 firefighters.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10And on Bonfire Night, one of Britain's busiest brigades
0:11:10 > 0:11:13is Cleveland, serving the north-east.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Here, over the next six hours, they're anticipating
0:11:16 > 0:11:18a six-fold increase in their nightly calls.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23And so I'm in Middlesbrough, along with Matt,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26to experience this incredibly stressful night
0:11:26 > 0:11:28with the Cleveland firefighters.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32I hope they answer a bit quicker than this tonight if there is a fire.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33That's all I'm saying.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38This brigade has to deal with one of the highest arson rates
0:11:38 > 0:11:41in the country, and at this time of year they get run ragged
0:11:41 > 0:11:46by nuisance fires started by a small number of mischief-makers.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Yeah, they might get a little bit excited tonight,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50cos obviously it's Bonfire Night,
0:11:50 > 0:11:51and we're seen as their enemy
0:11:51 > 0:11:54cos we're going to destroy their fun, as they see it,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57cos it's their bonfires and they just want to be left alone.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00It's like with everything, you get a minority
0:12:00 > 0:12:02that put a dampener on the majority.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Unfortunately.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Fire brigade. What's the address of the fire?
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Hiya. It's on the field next-door to my house.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11But are the youths still there, do you know?
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Oh, yeah, there's about 20 of them.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16All right, thank you. We're on our way.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19It's 5.30 at the start of Bonfire Night.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21I've only been here for minutes,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24and we're on our way to the first shout of the evening.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27The Cleveland Brigade has 15 stations
0:12:27 > 0:12:29and 21 fire engines,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32but these resources protect half a million people
0:12:32 > 0:12:33across the area.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38Tonight promises to stretch them to their limit.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44There's a cutting down through here to an open space,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47and there's also about 20 or 30 kids down there as well,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50so we don't know what we're going into. We're going to take a look.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56So even a tiny, what was it, a mattress and a couple of doors
0:12:56 > 0:13:00still takes out half your resources for half an hour,
0:13:00 > 0:13:01- we get there and sort it out?- Yeah.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04SIRENS BLARE Oh, what's that?
0:13:04 > 0:13:06That was Charlie One, that's the other appliance
0:13:06 > 0:13:10at Grangetown Station. They're obviously going to another incident,
0:13:10 > 0:13:11so that's Grangetown station empty now.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14That's the whole fire station in use, and it's only...
0:13:15 > 0:13:17..just about six o'clock.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21For the next five hours, the screw tightens.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25As the evening unfolds, we're called out repeatedly
0:13:25 > 0:13:29to a series of often unattended do-it-yourself bonfires.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32A tricky one, this, because it's actually out of reach, really,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35of the unit, the wagon itself.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41It's only a little one, I mean, I've had bigger fires in my house.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45What is this? I've lost count now.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49Seven? Eight...er, fires,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51the guys have had to put out.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54They may be small, but left to their own devices
0:13:54 > 0:13:56these fires could easily spread.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59And every time the brigade has to attend.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04Fire engines are being drawn out left, right and centre
0:14:04 > 0:14:09all over the area, trying to cover little nuisance fires like this,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11when they should be out saving lives
0:14:11 > 0:14:14and looking after big bits of property.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18While Matt's dealing with nuisance fires,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20I'm with another crew six miles away.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22And I've discovered something disturbing.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25As firefighters respond to these shouts,
0:14:25 > 0:14:30they can come under fire themselves from bottles and stones.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Tonight, though, there's seasonal ammunition.
0:14:40 > 0:14:41Fireworks.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50So, this time, the call-out was for youths throwing fireworks
0:14:50 > 0:14:52at people, at cars.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58- Keep your visor down. - Oh, here we go.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04Youths in this area are firing fireworks across the street.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06We've been advised to move on.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09The key thing is not to get trapped.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12We're reversing in so we can make a swift exit.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15It's really tough to get your head around.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19Why and how people would feel animosity towards the fire brigade,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23and yet tonight, we've got to ride with the windows up
0:15:23 > 0:15:25because somebody might chuck a brick at them.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29After three intense hours with my crew, I'm leaving them to it.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32I want to experience what it's like for the five call-handlers
0:15:32 > 0:15:33working tonight back at base.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35- ON THE PHONE:- It's not controlled at all.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38There's fire coming over the back fence. They're running wild.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39The fire's in the middle of the field,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42but as soon as the fire brigade go, they're running all over.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44And keeping an overall eye on proceedings
0:15:44 > 0:15:47is their Director of Community Protection, Phil Lancaster.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52Tonight has been very similar to last year's Bonfire Night.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56We've got to anticipate that on Bonfire Night people will go out
0:15:56 > 0:15:59- and they'll celebrate and they will have fires.- And make mistakes.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02They will, yeah, they will, and we'll go out and deal with those.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06And you've seen probably five hours' worth of mayhem tonight.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08We've had a gas explosion in a house tonight.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11It takes a lot of resources to deal with that type of incident,.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13That's the real serious incidents that we need to get there
0:16:13 > 0:16:16very quickly to deal with quickly and make sure people are safe,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18and diverting us away from those type of incidents,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21our availability to deal with those types of incidents,
0:16:21 > 0:16:22is really serious.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27And that's the major problem that these firefighters
0:16:27 > 0:16:29have to deal with during this period.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- PHONE:- They've set a bonfire off and it was like out of control.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Right, OK. so Fleet Avenue in which town?
0:16:35 > 0:16:37They have to attend to a succession of nuisance fires,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40while still being able to react when needed elsewhere.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44As Bonfire Night draws to a close,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47around 1am, Cleveland's 21 fire trucks
0:16:47 > 0:16:49are gradually returning to base.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Over the course of the evening of Bonfire Night alone,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55they've responded to 183 separate calls,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58their busiest single night of the year.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04And that experience was repeated up and down the country.
0:17:06 > 0:17:12In Manchester they had 648 calls - five times their daily average.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16In South Yorkshire they took 477 calls -
0:17:16 > 0:17:19more than double their average.
0:17:19 > 0:17:24And in Tyne and Wear they received 476 calls - ten times their average.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31But our emergency services have much more than fire calls on one evening
0:17:31 > 0:17:33to deal with.
0:17:33 > 0:17:38In fact, across Britain, 999 is dialled 85,000 times a day.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43That's one call to 999 every second.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Which is 31 million calls to 999 every year.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59All of this is a million miles away from the emergency hotline's
0:17:59 > 0:18:01humble beginnings, way back in 1937,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05all because of an incident over there, in Wimpole Street.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14It was early one Sunday morning when a serious fire broke out
0:18:14 > 0:18:17in this four-storey family home in central London.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25A neighbour witnessed the fire and tried to call a local fire station.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28But back then, calls went via an operator,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and the caller was held in a queue.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Tragically, the call went unanswered and the fire proved to be fatal.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Five women perished in the blaze.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46The episode caused such an uproar that it was decided
0:18:46 > 0:18:49an SOS emergency number should be introduced,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52and of course that number was 999.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54But in the House of Commons, Sir Sidney Herbert posed
0:18:54 > 0:18:57this interesting question - how a lady with a burglar in the house
0:18:57 > 0:19:02could be expected to remember the number 999,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05and whether it would not be better to have some button to press
0:19:05 > 0:19:06on the telephone.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Thanks, Sid, I think we've got a grip on that.
0:19:11 > 0:19:12After the Second Word War,
0:19:12 > 0:19:17the 999 system was rolled out to the other major cities of Britain.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Emergency, which service, please?
0:19:19 > 0:19:23And in 1976, 999 became a truly national system.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27I'm going to get police straight round to the address.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Things are on a different scale today.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Call centres filter and route 999 calls.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Is she screaming with the pain in her stomach?
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Passing them on to control rooms in seconds.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39OK, police, we're on our way, thank you.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43It's all a long way from those tragic events on Wimpole Street
0:19:43 > 0:19:45more than 75 years ago.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Events that led to the creation of the very backbone
0:19:48 > 0:19:50of Britain's emergency response network.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55As temperatures start to fall,
0:19:55 > 0:19:57there's a rise in the number of heart attacks.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59No, no, please. I've got to get up.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01And so we're with a trauma team in the Midlands
0:20:01 > 0:20:04dealing with a life or death emergency.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09And as annual births in Britain reach more than 700,000,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Julia discovers what it takes to be a midwife
0:20:12 > 0:20:14in the middle of an annual baby boom.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18But first...
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Now, it wouldn't be autumn without a spot of rain.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26Autumn is traditionally the worst of the seasons for flooding.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30Oh, my word.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Oh, no! Look! Oh, my goodness.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34Oh!
0:20:34 > 0:20:36We're right in the middle of it.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40So who's on hand to pick up the pieces
0:20:40 > 0:20:43when our towns and cities flood?
0:20:46 > 0:20:49The Royal National Lifeboat Institution,
0:20:49 > 0:20:54or RNLI, is a charity set up originally to save lives at sea.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58But in 2000, it created a specialist flood rescue service.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01They have 250 specially-trained volunteers
0:21:01 > 0:21:04who are called out to floods across the UK.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13And on the morning of the 27th of November, this flood rescue team
0:21:13 > 0:21:16was called out to the small community of St Asaph
0:21:16 > 0:21:18in North Wales.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21And to what looked like a scene from a disaster movie.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28We were met with utter devastation when we first arrived on scene.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33You could see a lot of people were frightened,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35and I think there was quite a bit of disbelief.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37There was elderly people.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41They were quite surprised to see four burly lifeboat men in lifeboats
0:21:41 > 0:21:45knocking at their doors, and telling them they needed to evacuate.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48500 people needed help to evacuate their homes
0:21:48 > 0:21:50by the emergency services.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56It's an eerie feeling at times,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58especially when we've got a lot of people out
0:21:58 > 0:22:00and we were going back round doing the final checks.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Everything is different. It's alien.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08You can see their possessions and all that ruined,
0:22:08 > 0:22:12their life-savings, their photos, something that's irreplaceable.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15And you're asking them to leave their homes for their own safety.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19It's not the nicest of feelings. You do feel for them.
0:22:19 > 0:22:20It's...
0:22:20 > 0:22:22It's hard. It's very hard.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Despite warnings from the Environment Agency,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30here in St Asaph, residents and the emergency services
0:22:30 > 0:22:34couldn't prevent their homes from flooding in the face of this deluge.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38And that was the story repeated in many parts of Britain.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43In the south-west it was the worst flood since 2000
0:22:43 > 0:22:46with 29 warnings and 58 alerts,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48and countless railways and roads being closed.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52In the north-east of England and Yorkshire
0:22:52 > 0:22:55almost a month's worth of rain fell in one week.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00For years we have been trying to protect ourselves
0:23:00 > 0:23:02against major flood events.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08We currently spend over half a billion pounds annually
0:23:08 > 0:23:11on building and maintaining flood defences like this -
0:23:11 > 0:23:12the Thames Barrier.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Just look at the size of this!
0:23:17 > 0:23:20These things are like 21st century castles protecting central London
0:23:20 > 0:23:22from the threat of flooding.
0:23:26 > 0:23:32It's been deployed 124 times to hold back surges in the River Thames.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36But even a barrier like this
0:23:36 > 0:23:39isn't guaranteed to be effective against flooding.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Because experts say that in recent years we've been experiencing
0:23:48 > 0:23:52a new type of flooding - one that's much harder to predict
0:23:52 > 0:23:54and to protect ourselves against.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58It's called surface water flooding.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04Surface water flooding occurs not when a river like this surges
0:24:04 > 0:24:06and bursts its banks, but when rainwater falls
0:24:06 > 0:24:10and can't drain away. So during a monsoon-like rain,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13or when the ground is saturated and can't absorb any more water.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20It's the sort of flooding that's hit this unlucky village in Yorkshire.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27This is Malton, just outside of York,
0:24:27 > 0:24:28on the banks of the River Derwent.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Overnight rains have given these villagers
0:24:32 > 0:24:34a terrible surprise this morning.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40It's come up about three inches in this last hour.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43Chaos.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47They've spent over £9 million on defences
0:24:47 > 0:24:49to stop the river bursting its banks.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54The trouble is, that's not the problem today.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01The actual river itself is still within defences.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04The thing that is making this exceptional
0:25:04 > 0:25:06is the amount of saturation.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08So what we see here today
0:25:08 > 0:25:11is there's a flood actually occurring here
0:25:11 > 0:25:13that is caused by surface water flooding
0:25:13 > 0:25:15not being able to get away.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22That's river coming up through drainage system in town.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Now it's just flooding all this bottom corner.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Overnight rains have saturated the ground
0:25:27 > 0:25:30on the North Yorkshire moors, and the run-off of this water
0:25:30 > 0:25:32has overloaded the town's drains.
0:25:36 > 0:25:37The drains can't hold it all,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40and if you looked over there, you'd be able to see it
0:25:40 > 0:25:42sort of like it's just bubbling out over the drains.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Responding to this event are an array of teams.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51The fire brigade, the police, the ambulance service, Yorkshire Water,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54North Yorkshire Highways, Network Rail and the Environment Agency
0:25:54 > 0:25:57are co-ordinating the operation.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04It's coming through our walls - you can see it coming through the walls.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Residents like Nick Hinds are having to pump out the water
0:26:07 > 0:26:09flowing into their houses.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13It's coming straight through into the living room.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Thank God we've got a pump to pump it out.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Eight o'clock it all started,
0:26:19 > 0:26:21by half-past eight it was uncontrollable.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23I can't stop it.
0:26:23 > 0:26:24HE LAUGHS
0:26:24 > 0:26:27I don't know who can stop it. I don't think anyone can.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32This is the human cost of flooding, and in Nick's case,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34it's threatening his prize possession -
0:26:34 > 0:26:36his tropical fish collection.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41If that goes and breaches that, that will be that cancelled out,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44and there's nothing to keep the system alive.
0:26:44 > 0:26:45So it will all die.
0:26:45 > 0:26:51Ten years' worth of experience gone into it, and a lot of money.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55A lot of care... Taken all the time to look after it,
0:26:55 > 0:26:57and something like this happens and you just...
0:26:57 > 0:26:59It's a nightmare.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07You just can't do anything, can you? It just keeps coming in.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Whoa, we're nearly there!
0:27:12 > 0:27:14By nightfall, the emergency teams are beginning
0:27:14 > 0:27:16to bring down the water levels,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19and soon they can start on the next stage - the mop-up.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30150 miles away, back in St Asaph in North Wales,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34the local community and emergency teams are rallying round.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Here in town, the local council have set up
0:27:38 > 0:27:41a rest centre to support the evacuees.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47It's staffed by council workers, the Red Cross and volunteers,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49and they're being inundated with donations.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54We've got all the supplies that have been donated, so people who have
0:27:54 > 0:27:58lost everything can come in and get food, toiletries, bedding, clothes.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01It's unbelievable that this has all come within 24 hours,
0:28:01 > 0:28:03this amount of stuff.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Quite emotional really, I'm just so totally taken aback by it.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18Across town, council workers are cleaning up the flood-damaged homes.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24While some of the evacuees are allowed to return
0:28:24 > 0:28:26to try and salvage valuables.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Devastation is the word, I'd say.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35I didn't realise how high the water had come.
0:28:35 > 0:28:36It's a good job we got out.
0:28:41 > 0:28:42That's...
0:28:43 > 0:28:47You wouldn't believe that, would you? A £5 note!
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Eh? Lucky fiver.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57Down payment on a new home. Thank you. Bye.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02There was an estimated £1 million worth of damage
0:29:02 > 0:29:04done to this community.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07And it could be a year before all these evacuees
0:29:07 > 0:29:09can return to their homes.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14But in the battle against flooding, all over the country
0:29:14 > 0:29:17we still rely on an ingenious piece of Victorian engineering.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22In the north-west, I'm with the Environment Agency's
0:29:22 > 0:29:26confined spaces divers for a trip down a Victorian culvert.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29The only thing that I'm worried about, Carl, is that it's
0:29:29 > 0:29:34currently raining, OK? And we'll be going down to where all the rain is.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38To infinity and beyond.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43Welcome to our world.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45It's beautiful down here. DIVER LAUGHS
0:29:45 > 0:29:47- Are you ready, Matt? - Let's go. Let's go.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52This feels like a very dangerous environment.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57'All year round, the team is responsible for clearing out
0:29:57 > 0:30:01'culverts and underground rivers like these, which disperse rainwater.'
0:30:02 > 0:30:06- Moving on!- 'They're crucial to prevent flooding.'
0:30:06 > 0:30:07Moving on!
0:30:07 > 0:30:11'Culverts are tunnels that run under most of our cities,
0:30:11 > 0:30:14'and if I kept walking from here - underneath Bolton -
0:30:14 > 0:30:16'eventually I'd reach the River Mersey.'
0:30:19 > 0:30:20Look at this.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23This is coming from your street, or one very much like it.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27And it's very straightforward - if this culvert blocks,
0:30:27 > 0:30:29then this water fills up,
0:30:29 > 0:30:33it goes straight back up the land drain, and it floods your street.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37So what Chris and Carl are doing here, absolutely essential,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40if you're not going to have a very uncomfortable couple of days.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44I didn't know anything about culverts...and now I'm in one.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50- Ah, what have we got? - Start of a potential blockage.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54- My God!- Timber, and someone's Flymo.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57- So we've got a Flymo and a log there? - Yeah.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01As the water gets higher, more debris comes down,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04wedges at this point, and then you've got a potential hazard.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07If you leave it, that's when it causes a problem.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10Before you know it, the water is up here backing up,
0:31:10 > 0:31:12up the manholes, people's flooded.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15Kids toys to cars, you name it.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19Moving on!
0:31:19 > 0:31:21Who threw their Christmas tree down the drain?
0:31:21 > 0:31:24- That's it. Anybody.- Got it. OK.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26- Can we go home now?- Yeah.- Brilliant.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28- Moving On!- Moving on!
0:31:28 > 0:31:31The job these guys do is something else.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33It's hard, it's physical.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36And it's absolutely essential if you want your house to stay dry.
0:31:37 > 0:31:42If you know one of these guys, give them a hug, buy them a drink,
0:31:42 > 0:31:45- because they're doing a fantastic bit of work.- Coming up!
0:31:53 > 0:31:58November sees almost 20,000 injured on British roads.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01So I'll reveal the most dangerous stretch of road in Britain.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07And I'll meet the teams battling to save lives on our highways.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20The Royal London Hospital, East London.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23It has one of the busiest accident and emergency rooms in Britain,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25and autumn is always a challenge here.
0:32:28 > 0:32:3125 years ago, doctors from this hospital came up with
0:32:31 > 0:32:34a revolution in emergency response.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36Too many people were dying unnecessarily
0:32:36 > 0:32:39because they weren't getting the right medical attention fast enough.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42Enter their secret weapon.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47..an ETA of approximately four minutes now, over.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56London's Air Ambulance is a service that works alongside the hospital.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00It was Britain's first flying doctor emergency response team,
0:33:00 > 0:33:02and it started in 1989.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06Since then, deaths from major trauma in London
0:33:06 > 0:33:09and along the M25 motorway have dropped drastically.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12And it's thanks in part
0:33:12 > 0:33:15to this remarkable and ground-breaking charity.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21PILOT SPEAKS OVER RADIO
0:33:29 > 0:33:32It's not that these helicopters get to the scene first -
0:33:32 > 0:33:35a land ambulance could be closer and beat them to it.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37What's crucial is that these machines deliver
0:33:37 > 0:33:39a highly-trained trauma doctor
0:33:39 > 0:33:42directly to the location of the accident,
0:33:42 > 0:33:45otherwise the first time the doctor would meet the patient
0:33:45 > 0:33:47would be in the hospital.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49The service has been so successful that it's been replicated
0:33:49 > 0:33:51up and down the country.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56There are 37 air ambulance helicopters across Britain,
0:33:56 > 0:34:00and they attend an average of 70 serious incidents a day.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04During autumn, we filmed with one of the country's busiest.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06PHONE RINGS
0:34:07 > 0:34:09Helimed 545?
0:34:09 > 0:34:11This is the Air Ambulance service that serves
0:34:11 > 0:34:13Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16Outside of London, this charity covers some of
0:34:16 > 0:34:19the most densely populated parts of Britain.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21Are you all right there, Dave? Do you need a hand?
0:34:21 > 0:34:24Dr Stuart Maitland-Knibb is a trauma doctor on the team.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28I want to know the key differences
0:34:28 > 0:34:31between working on the helicopter and in the hospital emergency room.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37It's a more pressurised environment, surely?
0:34:37 > 0:34:41It is, but I like it because it's back to real medicine.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44It's hands-on, you do what you have to do right now for the patient.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46- It's instant.- Absolutely.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48You go to work, you have no idea what is going to happen.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50- HE CLICKS FINGERS - Bang!
0:34:50 > 0:34:52So you can go from sitting having a cup of tea
0:34:52 > 0:34:56to absolute carnage, in literally minutes.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Among the most serious medical emergencies Stuart has to deal with
0:35:01 > 0:35:03are cardiac arrests.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05And it's thought that there's a link
0:35:05 > 0:35:07between heart attacks and changes in the climate.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13As autumn arrives and temperatures start to drop,
0:35:13 > 0:35:17medical researchers have identified something really interesting.
0:35:17 > 0:35:2110-14 days after a major fall in temperature,
0:35:21 > 0:35:23there's a rise in the number of heart attacks.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29As temperatures drop, this can lead to an increase in blood pressure,
0:35:29 > 0:35:31which can put an extra strain on the heart.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34Looks like somebody is there.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37It's a crisp, autumnal Saturday morning.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Stuart and his team have been called to Chatsworth House,
0:35:40 > 0:35:42a large estate in Derbyshire.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Nick Hutton, a 64-year-old man
0:35:44 > 0:35:46walking in the grounds, has collapsed.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49- Lie down, lie down. - Nick, it's all right,
0:35:49 > 0:35:50it's Meryl. No, leave that on.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55Paramedics on scene have just used an electric shock
0:35:55 > 0:35:57to try to get Nick's heart back into its proper rhythm.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01He's now confused and agitated.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03NICK COUGHS
0:36:03 > 0:36:07We were on an old boys school walk, Nick had organised the walk.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10And we were walking along chatting,
0:36:10 > 0:36:13and then suddenly we realised he was flat on his back.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18Stuart recognises Nick's distress
0:36:18 > 0:36:21as a classic fight-or-flight response.
0:36:21 > 0:36:22Hello, sir.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27As far as his brain is concerned, he is in a death situation
0:36:27 > 0:36:29and he wants to get away from that.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31All right, sir, just relax, relax.
0:36:33 > 0:36:34The more effort that he puts in,
0:36:34 > 0:36:36actually, he's doing himself more harm,
0:36:36 > 0:36:38because he is using up oxygen quicker,
0:36:38 > 0:36:41and where the oxygen is needed is in the brain and the heart,
0:36:41 > 0:36:45but it is being surged into the muscle groups, to try and run away.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47- NICK:- No, no, please, got to get up.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51- No, no, no.- Whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:36:51 > 0:36:54I must get up. I must get up, please.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Nice and still. Good lad.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58The only people that will be talking is Phil and myself.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00- Are we all happy to continue?- Yes.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02'As soon as I came out of that helicopter
0:37:02 > 0:37:05'I knew that this guy was going to need a general anaesthetic.'
0:37:05 > 0:37:08So normally when you have an anaesthetic,
0:37:08 > 0:37:10you have a pre-op assessment with the anaesthetist,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13they find out about what drugs you are on,
0:37:13 > 0:37:16what allergies you've got. I don't have that luxury.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21I want to know when we're at 45 seconds.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24'What we're doing has a lot of risk associated with it.'
0:37:24 > 0:37:28So whatever happens, I am totally responsible for this man's life now.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32- 45 seconds.- Stop.
0:37:35 > 0:37:36MPAs?
0:37:36 > 0:37:40This is it. You are on your own, and you think, "Ugh..."
0:37:40 > 0:37:43Sats are dropping, they're coming back now.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45OK, bag him, that's fine.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Fantastic, well done, everybody.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49This gentleman has had a heart attack, probably,
0:37:49 > 0:37:52that has resulted in his heart stopping. Luckily, bystanders have
0:37:52 > 0:37:56straightaway recognised that and have been able to pump on
0:37:56 > 0:37:59his chest, giving him CPR until the emergency services have got here.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02That is what has saved his life, the people that were here first
0:38:02 > 0:38:04pushing up and down on his chest.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Sheila started doing CPR on him.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09He wasn't breathing, he was going blue and had no pulse,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12so I got him onto his back and started CPR.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14Wasn't sure that I was doing it properly.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17Anybody shout if they want a rest.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20And I said, "Does anyone know how to do this properly?"
0:38:20 > 0:38:23And Dave took over and did a much better job than I did.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25We were walking along there and I saw him go down.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28The lady was trying to give him CPR and she didn't know what
0:38:28 > 0:38:31she was doing, neither did I, but I thought I could help.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35So I just did what I could and what I thought was right.
0:38:35 > 0:38:36He started breathing again,
0:38:36 > 0:38:38which was a great relief to everybody, I think.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40The last time I did it was on a rubber doll
0:38:40 > 0:38:42on the floor in the church hall!
0:38:47 > 0:38:51With Nick under general anaesthetic, Stuart has to use a mask and bag
0:38:51 > 0:38:54to take responsibility for every breath his patient takes.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01He is at risk of dying. Hopefully in the next 24 hours
0:39:01 > 0:39:04we'll get a better picture of what's going on.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18He is hyper-tensive, CO2 has remained about 5.5.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27If we look at the statistics, if you have a cardiac arrest
0:39:27 > 0:39:29and if you have no bystander CPR,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32and the paramedic is more than eight minutes away,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35your chances of survival and discharge from hospital
0:39:35 > 0:39:37are less than 0.8%.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40- So nothing really, you're dead. - Absolutely.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43It shows just how important a very simple piece
0:39:43 > 0:39:45of first-aid training can be.
0:39:46 > 0:39:47So before I leave Derbyshire,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50I've asked Stuart for a CPR refresher course.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55Hello, hello, can you hear me? What's your name?
0:39:55 > 0:39:57OK, so there's no response.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59OK, so now we are going to do a shake and shout.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01- LOUD:- Hello, can you hear me?
0:40:01 > 0:40:03We're going to lock our arms, and we're going to press down
0:40:03 > 0:40:07onto the chest, about a third of the depth of the chest.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13The rate that you need to be doing it is either
0:40:13 > 0:40:16the Bee Gees, Staying Alive, or Nellie the Elephant,
0:40:16 > 0:40:18- which is my preferred option.- OK.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20# Ah ah ah ah
0:40:20 > 0:40:23# Staying alive, staying alive... #
0:40:23 > 0:40:24- Just one thing.- Yeah?
0:40:24 > 0:40:28- Don't sing it out loud. It's very disconcerting for relatives.- Yes.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31Just keep going. You're going to just keep going.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34- Just keep going? - Just keep going.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36Remember, the emergency services have been called
0:40:36 > 0:40:39and they're on the way. But you just have to keep going.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44'And because of life-saving CPR given by two members of the public,'
0:40:44 > 0:40:48Nick Hutton went on to make a full recovery following bypass surgery.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00For the paramedics and doctors of the Air Ambulance Service,
0:41:00 > 0:41:02autumn is also the season when they have to deal with
0:41:02 > 0:41:05a rise in road accidents.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08November is the worst month of all for road collisions.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17RADIO CHATTER
0:41:21 > 0:41:25And one thing thought to contribute to this is a yearly ritual
0:41:25 > 0:41:26that's as regular as clockwork.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34On the last Sunday in October, the light on Big Ben goes out...
0:41:34 > 0:41:36and the clock is stopped.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41After some routine maintenance, while most of us are asleep,
0:41:41 > 0:41:42the hands are then advanced.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54When Britain wakes up, it's in a new time zone.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06Now, that extra hour can take a bit of getting used to,
0:42:06 > 0:42:08especially out here on the road.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15If you asked most people,
0:42:15 > 0:42:19"When is the most dangerous time of year on our roads?"
0:42:19 > 0:42:23then they would probably say winter. You've got ice, snow and frost.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25But those people would be wrong, because it's autumn.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30Autumn roads can bring with them dangers
0:42:30 > 0:42:32that we might not necessarily spot.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34As the clocks go back,
0:42:34 > 0:42:37we can end up driving home in the dark through the rain,
0:42:37 > 0:42:41or we can end up heading out in the morning through early frosts.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46But if you thought your motorway was the most dangerous road,
0:42:46 > 0:42:50then you'd be wrong. It's rural roads like this where we are four times
0:42:50 > 0:42:54more likely to be in an accident, and twice as likely to die.
0:42:57 > 0:43:01And this - the A537 in Derbyshire - has been judged
0:43:01 > 0:43:05to be the most dangerous road in Britain.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18A snaking 12km stretch of the road from Macclesfield to Buxton
0:43:18 > 0:43:21is both heaven and hell for bikers.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27It's Thursday, just after 1pm,
0:43:27 > 0:43:31and the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance
0:43:31 > 0:43:33has just been scrambled.
0:43:33 > 0:43:3760 miles from base, at a busy junction on the A17,
0:43:37 > 0:43:40a car has gone head-on with an HGV.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43The car contains four workers from a local factory
0:43:43 > 0:43:46who were travelling home from shift.
0:43:46 > 0:43:49As they arrive on scene, trauma doctor Pam Hardy
0:43:49 > 0:43:51and paramedic Dave Roberts discover
0:43:51 > 0:43:54the driver and front-seat passenger are trapped.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57How long until we get the first casualty out?
0:43:57 > 0:43:59How long until we get this off?
0:43:59 > 0:44:01- Couple of minutes. - Excellent.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03Hi, how are we doing?
0:44:03 > 0:44:06We're going to get you out of the car now, all right?
0:44:06 > 0:44:08- Can we have some hands? - Can we have a few hands?
0:44:09 > 0:44:12Can we have some hands just to get this lady out?
0:44:12 > 0:44:15- We're going to come out feet-first. - Two, three - lift.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17Rest.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19The woman in the front passenger seat is conscious
0:44:19 > 0:44:21but not responding.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27Can you hear me OK? You can't hear me OK?
0:44:27 > 0:44:30'You've got engine noise, you've got sirens,
0:44:30 > 0:44:32'you have people around the scene,
0:44:32 > 0:44:34'so they're all talking to each other, shouting to each other.'
0:44:34 > 0:44:38And all of this is very disconcerting for the patient.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42Having intravenous drugs, given to them, they might be having
0:44:42 > 0:44:45intravenous fluid, they've got an oxygen mask over their face.
0:44:45 > 0:44:49And it all becomes quite a scary place to be.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51Can you open your eyes for me?
0:44:51 > 0:44:53For Pam and Dave, there's an added complication.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57I need you to keep your legs straight, darling,
0:44:57 > 0:44:58all right? Is that OK?
0:45:00 > 0:45:04Their patient is Lithuanian and understands very little English.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09We need you to keep your legs straight, it's really important.
0:45:09 > 0:45:10Is it sore to do that?
0:45:10 > 0:45:12'It's very, very difficult to get that rapport.'
0:45:12 > 0:45:15- PATIENT GROANS - Where's that hurt?
0:45:17 > 0:45:21'I took my helmet off, and then actually got over her
0:45:21 > 0:45:23'and looked directly into her eyes.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26'And that eye contact, it means a lot to some people.'
0:45:27 > 0:45:29Where's your pain?
0:45:29 > 0:45:33'The tactile touch of a hand when people are scared
0:45:33 > 0:45:34'and things are going on,
0:45:34 > 0:45:36'it makes a whole lot of difference to that person.'
0:45:36 > 0:45:39You just need to be all nice and snug
0:45:39 > 0:45:41while we get you to hospital, OK?
0:45:41 > 0:45:43Is anything hurting?
0:45:44 > 0:45:45PATIENT MOANS
0:45:47 > 0:45:50This is a tragically familiar story on our roads.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53Across Britain there were more than 13,000 road accidents
0:45:53 > 0:45:55in the month of November.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06But in this case, there was a positive outcome.
0:46:08 > 0:46:1139 year-old Anya suffered injuries to her pelvis,
0:46:11 > 0:46:13but went on to make a full recovery.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17Her three colleagues also escaped without major injury.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21And that's thanks to one of the busiest air ambulance services
0:46:21 > 0:46:22in the country,
0:46:22 > 0:46:26one of 37 life-saving air ambulance teams up and down Britain.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34Now, from Derbyshire all the way to London.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42You might not have noticed it, but over the past ten years
0:46:42 > 0:46:44Britain has been booming.
0:46:44 > 0:46:49The national birth rate is at its highest level since 1971.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52Let me show you how many babies are being born every year.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56This...is Wembley Stadium.
0:46:59 > 0:47:03Britain's largest sporting arena - capacity 90,000.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07At the current national birth rate, you could fill Wembley
0:47:07 > 0:47:11not once, not twice - but eight times.
0:47:12 > 0:47:17Giving us a grand total of over 800,000 newborns in Britain every year.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26So I've come to St Thomas' Hospital, one of the busiest
0:47:26 > 0:47:29in Britain, as they prepare for their own autumnal baby boom.
0:47:33 > 0:47:37This is the biggest single-unit maternity ward in London,
0:47:37 > 0:47:40there are more than 6,500 births here every year.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43And the midwifery team have an outstanding reputation.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46But this is a very special week.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50The team are preparing to deliver 146 new babies into the world.
0:47:50 > 0:47:54It's projected to be the busiest week of the year.
0:47:57 > 0:47:58Midwife here?
0:48:00 > 0:48:02Thanks, bye-bye.
0:48:02 > 0:48:07Leading the charge on this year's baby boom is senior midwife Gail Roberts,
0:48:07 > 0:48:09one of 25,000 midwives across the country.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12And we have got at least 20 in there.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14Two more coming over from the day assessment unit
0:48:14 > 0:48:17in about five minutes time, so...a lot.
0:48:17 > 0:48:18Edith, how are you?
0:48:21 > 0:48:23WOMAN SCREECHES
0:48:24 > 0:48:26I think that lady's having her fourth baby.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32So, who else is going to have a baby in the next five minutes?
0:48:32 > 0:48:33ALARM SOUNDS
0:48:39 > 0:48:40Yeah...?
0:48:40 > 0:48:43An emergency bell. Here?
0:48:43 > 0:48:44It was?
0:48:44 > 0:48:45Someone was feeling sick.
0:48:46 > 0:48:51In this case, it seems somebody felt sick and they pulled the wrong buzzer.
0:48:51 > 0:48:52But it's always good to have a run.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59The team here have a rather simple system to monitor how busy they are -
0:48:59 > 0:49:01depending on the number of beds that are filled.
0:49:02 > 0:49:06Midwife Fiona Little tells me that they're currently on amber status.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09Amber status means that we are busy
0:49:09 > 0:49:12and we can cope with our own women,
0:49:12 > 0:49:15but if another hospital rang us
0:49:15 > 0:49:18we would probably be reluctant to take their women.
0:49:18 > 0:49:24If we were on red, that means that we cannot, we cannot accept anyone.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27- Under no circumstances? - No, under no circumstances.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30We don't want to close the unit, but we will have to close the unit
0:49:30 > 0:49:33if we think that it is dangerous for women to deliver here.
0:49:33 > 0:49:37Have you been full to the rafters here, and had births in cupboards and things?
0:49:37 > 0:49:42We haven't had births in cupboards. We have had births in the corridor.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44I've been on night shifts when you think
0:49:44 > 0:49:49if one more person walks through the door, we're in real big trouble.
0:49:49 > 0:49:53For some reason, it then just goes psssttt...and stops.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57What we're going to do is transfer this lady in an hour down to postnatal.
0:49:57 > 0:50:01What makes this, an exceptional week, so challenging,
0:50:01 > 0:50:04is that these midwives are not in control of when the babies arrive.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07Due dates are of course just an estimate.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09One has just given birth about five minutes ago.
0:50:09 > 0:50:13So while they're prepared for 146 births this week,
0:50:13 > 0:50:15it could be less, or it could be more.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17..Other than that, everything's OK.
0:50:19 > 0:50:21But what makes autumn so busy?
0:50:23 > 0:50:28So let's do a little bit of maths - nine months back from now.
0:50:29 > 0:50:33Oh, yeah. Christmas, New Year,
0:50:33 > 0:50:37at home with the family, festive cheer and all that.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46To experience what these midwives have to cope with at their busiest time,
0:50:46 > 0:50:49I'm joining them for their morning shift.
0:50:50 > 0:50:56She's 38 weeks, she's been induced for pregnancy-induced hypertension.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59- DO I need to follow that up this afternoon?- Yeah, I think so.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03In your mind you're looking after the mums and also the midwives,
0:51:03 > 0:51:06- you've got an eye on where everyone is?- Yes, definitely.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08I always think of it like having a filing cabinet,
0:51:08 > 0:51:12and constantly moving the most important thing to the front of the drawer.
0:51:12 > 0:51:13That's how it works in my head.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15Yeah, who's calling...?
0:51:16 > 0:51:20Gail's team need to deliver almost one baby every hour this week.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26And while some babies arrive early, and others late,
0:51:26 > 0:51:29for some, their timing is a little more predictable.
0:51:34 > 0:51:38This is Maria, and she's about to have a Caesarean section.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40INAUDIBLE
0:51:43 > 0:51:47Maria's teenage daughter Kate is with her to provide moral support.
0:51:47 > 0:51:51So, baby, because it's lying the wrong way,
0:51:51 > 0:51:54might take a bit of time to come out, but that's fine.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58I'm excited, cos this one is last time,
0:51:58 > 0:52:01so I want to see my baby soon.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07I'm just nervous. I'm really nervous.
0:52:10 > 0:52:11It's OK...
0:52:13 > 0:52:17In the operating theatre they're preparing to deliver Maria's baby.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20One in four babies are delivered by Caesarean,
0:52:20 > 0:52:25so Maria's baby will be one of around 200,000 born this way this year.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31So delivering any baby is special, and that feeling never really goes away
0:52:31 > 0:52:35which is why we all do obs and gynae. That's the reason that we're here.
0:52:38 > 0:52:43Elsewhere, Gail is doing the final checks on a baby about to leave the ward.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47BABY WAILS
0:52:47 > 0:52:49Oh, it's OK... I know.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52And this is an enjoyable part of this job?
0:52:52 > 0:52:54Oh, it's lovely. Yeah. It's really lovely,
0:52:54 > 0:52:56cos you get to see the babies, talk to the parents,
0:52:56 > 0:52:59meet the brothers and sisters as well, which I really like.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01Shall we have a listen to your tummy? What do you think?
0:53:01 > 0:53:03It's their ticket home, if you like,
0:53:03 > 0:53:06so if you're checking a baby and everything's fine,
0:53:06 > 0:53:09you're basically saying, "Here's your baby - take them home, enjoy." Yeah.
0:53:13 > 0:53:17In the operating theatre, Maria is just moments away from getting her new baby.
0:53:18 > 0:53:22She's having an operation and she's smiling, look at that.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24Yeah, I'm very happy. I'm excited.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26I'm going to see my baby soon.
0:53:44 > 0:53:48Here's your lovely baby.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58Congratulations. You've got a little baby brother.
0:53:58 > 0:54:02He's looking really healthy, your mum's doing fine and we'll be out in about five minutes or so.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06I've finally got my baby.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12Got a little present for you.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14Oh, my God...
0:54:20 > 0:54:23But before I leave the ward, I've been allowed to sit in
0:54:23 > 0:54:25on a very different sort of delivery.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29Water births are favoured by some women
0:54:29 > 0:54:32because they believe it may help them with pain control.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35Expectant parents Rebecca and Francis
0:54:35 > 0:54:38and midwife Carmella were kind enough to let me share their moment.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41And you're at full term, Rebecca? 38 weeks?
0:54:41 > 0:54:46I was expecting to go over, because they say first-time mums do.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49I started having contractions on... No, Monday even.
0:54:49 > 0:54:50Shall I take that for you?
0:54:54 > 0:54:56REBECCA GROANS
0:55:06 > 0:55:10- If you could swap places with her now, would you?- Yeah. I would swap.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12I would swap.
0:55:12 > 0:55:16She's amazing. 23, and completely in control of the situation.
0:55:17 > 0:55:23- How many births do you think you've worked on?- 190?
0:55:23 > 0:55:26Is this ever a routine job for you?
0:55:26 > 0:55:30Never. Every day is completely different, every couple's completely different.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35Definitely the best job in the world.
0:55:35 > 0:55:37REBECCA BREATHES RAPIDLY
0:55:37 > 0:55:40Blow. Like you're blowing out candles on a birthday cake.
0:55:40 > 0:55:44So you can practise now. Yeah? Exactly like that, big breaths.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47Carmella has been with Rebecca for two hours now.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50REBECCA SHRIEKS
0:55:50 > 0:55:54Don't be scared - that's the baby's head coming through.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01Ohhhhh...!
0:56:04 > 0:56:06Yay!
0:56:06 > 0:56:09- Oh, my gosh.- There you go!
0:56:09 > 0:56:12- Oh, you're so beautiful.- Hello!
0:56:12 > 0:56:16Look at his eyes. He's opened his eyes at you.
0:56:16 > 0:56:17Oh, he's so sweet...
0:56:19 > 0:56:22Well done. You're a superstar!
0:56:22 > 0:56:23- Thank you.- You're amazing.
0:56:25 > 0:56:29What an absolute privilege to be in that room with all of them.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33And Carmella was exceptional throughout.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35And you do forget how much pressure the midwives are under
0:56:35 > 0:56:38all the time, during that process.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41Was that a particularly special birth?
0:56:41 > 0:56:44- Cos it felt like it, to the novice in there.- Yeah, it was.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46She's never going to forget today,
0:56:46 > 0:56:50and to be part of that is what makes it special, I guess.
0:56:53 > 0:56:58Baby Noah was one of 123 babies born at St Thomas' this week -
0:56:58 > 0:57:01just short of their projected number.
0:57:01 > 0:57:05Across Britain there were 200,000 babies born this autumn.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09And the 25,000 midwives up and down the country
0:57:09 > 0:57:13are the first emergency workers, keeping us safe.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20Next time, it's winter - and party season.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23Julia's with the Scottish Ambulance Service
0:57:23 > 0:57:27dealing with New Year, and the biggest street party in Britain.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29What's happening? What's happening?
0:57:29 > 0:57:33Matt's on the River Thames, with the country's busiest lifeboat crew,
0:57:33 > 0:57:36and experiences what the water can do to you in winter.
0:57:37 > 0:57:39Oh... That's very cold.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42And we experience emergency rescues
0:57:42 > 0:57:45in the most extreme environment in the country.
0:58:01 > 0:58:03Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd