Episode 3 Ambulance

Ambulance. Is the patient breathing?

Every year in Britain, 12 million people dial 999

for an emergency ambulance,

more than 3,000 a day in the West Midlands.

Right, stop screaming and listen to me.

Listen, don't be afraid to push too hard.

One and two and three, one and two and three.

CPR in progress.

SIRENS BLARE

Everyone, clear.

Each call tells the story of a person in desperate need...

Can you upgrade it to a red, please? He's been badly beaten.

Do you know what it was you were stabbed with, Dom?

..and with call numbers doubling in the last decade...

Keep going! He's here. The head's here, the head's here, nearly. Yeah.

I can't! You can!

..for our public services, a situation that is now critical.

They've got to find somewhere for him.

They can't just say there's no beds.

Is this literally what you've got, what you're standing up in?

You've got nothing else?

OK.

The failure of the system.

Oh, God.

Oh, my God.

What was he doing?

All right, guys, just one minute.

Cameras follow cases as they unfold, minute by minute...

Two ambulances, please, if possible.

OK, yeah, as long as you're all right

I'll get everybody to you as quick as I can.

..in the control room... Confirmed, life extinct.

Oh, man.

..and on the ground...

Sorry for your loss.

..as the West Midlands Ambulance Service race to save lives.

They are coming to you, blue lights and sirens,

as fast as they possibly can.

Is he breathing?

Can you see the helicopter?

You're no trouble, honestly.

Everybody needs help sometimes, don't they?

This is the story behind the sirens.

Nee-naw. Nee-naw, nee-naw.

Get out the way, I'm driving.

SIRENS BLARE

This programme contains strong language and scenes which some viewers may find upsetting

Ambulance Service. Is the patient breathing?

OK, and she's not breathing?

OK, do you want to start CPR?

Wednesday, half an hour into the day shift

and the West Midlands Ambulance Service

is dealing with seven chest pains,

12 falls and an elderly woman who is in cardiac arrest.

You're doing really well.

WEEPING

In Staffordshire, paramedics are on scene with a 75-year-old woman who

called with abdominal pain.

Yeah, stand by.

After assessing the patient, the paramedics have discovered that

she's having a serious heart attack.

They've requested another ambulance to assist them.

Control dispatch the nearest available crew, Dave and Mick,

to back them up.

4452.

You're on scene at this one, please. Salt Avenue in Stafford.

The lady there's having an MI. Asking for a second crew, please.

Roger.

You've just been flashed.

I do apologise. Will you pay the fine?

It's your turn this time. Is it? Yeah.

I'll have to save up.

Those pensions are poor.

Mick retired eight years ago, but missed his life and rejoined.

At 71, he has no plans to retire soon.

SIRENS BLARE

By the time they arrive,

the patient has been showing symptoms for over two hours.

Hello. This is Dave, Denise.

Hello. How are you?

What's the lady's name? It's Denise.

You're very cold, Denise.

We're going to get you in.

Oh, dear.

Oh, Denise.

We've got an ambulance here, that's the right thing.

Are you all right?

Coping? All right?

We'll sort her out for you, all right?

How long have you been married, then?

50-odd years. Have you?

Come on, it's going to be all right. Have you got somebody you can ring?

I've rung my son to tell him.

Are you going to come with us? Yeah, if you don't mind?

That's no problem at all.

Let's put this on the head, make it more comfortable for you a bit.

Is that all right?

Don't run around too much,

else we'll be picking you up off t'floor as well.

Denise, do you feel sick?

Yeah? This is anti-sickness, this is, darling, OK?

Quite often you've got two patients,

the actual patient and the near relative,

because what's happening to their relative, it's upsetting.

One more and you're there.

So you have got to treat both.

We're on the way, sir. We'll be going a bit fast.

That's all right. All right? OK.

That's so your wife can have the best treatment possible

in the shortest time, all right? OK.

I seem to be able to talk with people and have empathy with them.

But I think we've all got this compassionate side,

otherwise you wouldn't do this job.

There's a hospital two miles away,

but Denise needs specialist care from the cardiac unit

at Royal Stoke and that is 16 miles away.

At this time of day, even on blue lights,

because it's really busy up there,

it's going to be about 20 minutes and it's all time critical now.

SIRENS BLARE

Oh, my God.

They're not going to let you through.

Is she all right?

She's OK, John, yeah, yeah.

Just trying to get rid of some of this nasty pain for her.

OK? Good. We're looking after her, John. Are you OK?

Yeah.

We'll look after her.

Got it? Done, yeah.

We'll get you in straightaway, Denise, don't worry.

Denise has been suffering her heart attack for over three hours.

The cardiac team must urgently unblock her arteries.

You just relax, all right?

You're going to be all right, don't worry.

Ready, steady, slide.

Hiya. Sorry to be so long.

As you know, John, your wife's had a heart attack.

She has had a heart attack. She has, yeah.

Which we knew at the time when we've come here.

Yeah. They've took her in to unblock the arteries.

I would imagine you've had a lot of challenges

during your marriage over the years.

This is another one and it's going in the right direction

at the moment, mate, all right?

OK?

She's in the best place, she's having the best treatment.

OK. All right? I believe you, yeah.

And everything's going right at the moment, OK?

She is, John, she's a lot more settled.

You'll be able to see her in a moment, all right?

They'll have you through with her very soon.

Three miles from Royal Stoke Hospital,

Matt and Ryan have just cleared from their second elderly patient

of the morning. Want to eat the oatcakes now?

There was two bacon. I think that's bacon and cheese.

Are they both bacon? Yeah... That's bacon.

That's bacon and sausage.

That's yours. That's sausage.

Oh, right, this must be bacon.

Oh, that's just nice.

It's quite warm now.

Better with brown sauce on it but they didn't have any brown sauce.

Always got to complain, haven't you?

Ambulance Service. Is the patient breathing?

OK.

The shower or the shed?

OK. How old is he, please?

This morning in Staffordshire,

almost half of all calls have been for people over 70.

Somebody's fallen in a shed and hurt his hip.

He says he's got cancer of the spine as well.

What's he doing in the shed? Yeah.

Hello, sir. Let's get to you, mate.

Have you hurt this hip before at all?

Right, and have you not been able to move it since you've fallen?

Shall we have a quick feel?

Is it round in your bottom or so?

Up here in, like, your pelvis?

What were you doing in your shed?

Tidying up? Do you keep pigeons?

Are they pigeons that you keep?

Oh, right. OK.

What did you used to do for a job?

Were you? It's pretty standard, isn't it, for round here?

Another one.

We'll get you some gas and air for now.

There's a possibility that you might have broken your hip.

We've got to move you at some point.

We obviously want to give you some pain relief.

We don't want to just move you without. All right, then.

I'm going to get you some gas and air and you can start taking that

now and that should kick in by the time we have to move you.

All right. I'll go grab that.

He's a proper Stokie, aren't you?

How did you manage to let your wife know that you'd fallen?

Right.

What's your missus going to be doing?

Is she going to be coming with us?

All right, we'll go to speak to her.

That's normal for it to change the tone of your voice, OK? Yeah.

So...

No. You might have to have an operation on this leg to correct it.

Have they?

You seem very optimistic about it all!

It may not be that, we'll see.

In relation to the long-term, I don't know...

That's obviously the hospital's decision in what they do.

Yeah, OK.

Ryan's going to grab your leg so they go together, OK?

That's it.

Ready? One, two, three.

OK.

Bring that leg in for me.

Yeah. So you can see how your leg is that much shorter

than the other one.

I think it's pretty... It's a good cert

that you've got a bit of a fracture to this hip somewhere.

It isn't really good, is it?

You're looking good, my love.

Hair's looking good.

Is it good? Yeah, it looks better than mine, doesn't it?

Oh, dear. Don't worry about it.

We think he might have broken his hip, unfortunately.

Are you coming up the hospital with him?

His son's on his way somewhere. OK.

No, no, no.

I know!

You can leave me here now, if you want.

You're comfortable?

So, head end.

It's the opposite way to where we are. OK.

When did you retire, then? How old were you when you retired?

Was that from the pot bank? Yeah.

I bet you have oatcakes at least once a week, don't you?

Cost kick a bo against a wo.

Ambulance Service. Is the patient breathing?

Hello, this is the Ambulance Service.

In the control room, a call is in progress for a woman

who thinks she's in labour in a car

on the side of a road near Bridgnorth.

How far from Highley are you?

WOMAN:

MAN:

Say that again. What did the other man say?

Open the sac.

Right, OK, don't pull that baby. Do not pull that baby.

Is the baby out the sac?

OK, is the baby breathing?

Tap on his feet for me, is he crying?

OK, is he awake?

Come on, baby.

OK, so he's not. Is he breathing? Listen to me - is he breathing?

Is he breathing? Is he breathing?

Is he breathing?

Tap his feet, is he breathing?

He hasn't cried yet. Is he breathing, though?

You need to take him and put your mouth completely over

the baby's mouth and nose.

Blow gently two to three seconds. Do this five times.

Do it now.

Yes.

Blow gently.

Have you done that five times?

Yeah? Is the baby breathing?

Is he breathing?

Lovely, that's a good noise to hear.

How old's Mum?

She didn't know she was pregnant?

OK, all right.

You've done really, really well.

I'll leave you, Victoria.

Thank you for your help.

Not a problem.

Congratulations to Mum. Thank you. Bye.

It's that one there as well? It's attached to it.

Mick and Dave have been at the station on a break

and are back on stand-by, ready for action.

That young girl... Yeah.

She said, "Who are you with?" I says, "Dave Minard."

I think she's in love with you, mate.

You can't be saying stuff like that, Mick.

Don't get me into any trouble with the wife!

4452.

52, thank you.

Mick, Andover Place, Cannock, please.

56-year-old, cardiac arrest, please.

SIRENS BLARE

Mick and Dave are three miles from the patient.

To back them up, the control room also dispatches William and Gail

in Ambulance 4453.

53. 4453, thank you.

Cannock, please, for a cardiac arrest.

He's very young to be cardiac arrest. 56?

We've got two crews running on it, they're both running

between two and a half and three and a half miles for it.

For a cardiac arrest, we always send two in case CPR's needed,

because it's real hard work for one crew.

We back up, naturally. You know, this is life and death.

4452.

The other crew are with you.

It's very much neck and neck at the moment.

I think you'll be slightly ahead going in.

Thank you.

If you grab the two bags, Mick, I'll grab those. OK.

Is that it there?

She's there.

Hiya.

OK, when was he last seen alive?

Half past four was the last breath he took. OK.

BEEPING

He's gone, I think.

There's no point in another coming.

No, no.

He's got a DNR? OK.

The patient, Paul, had been suffering from cancer

and signed a do not resuscitate request.

4452, just to confirm this is a K22.

The gent has got a DNR in place as well.

So there's no requirement for the other crew.

Thank you, they're just pulling up outside.

I'll let them know. Thank you.

53.

Gail, you can cancel, please.

Stand down, stand down.

Unfortunately this gent's... Patient's deceased.

The other crew are there. OK.

THEY WEEP

The DNR was only signed on the 9th of this month.

He's got metastatic bowel cancer.

Poor chap.

I'll just lift his head a bit

and we might be able to shut his mouth a bit.

For the family.

OK, sir. Come on.

Hiya.

We've confirmed that Paul's unfortunately passed.

Obviously it's a difficult time for yourselves now.

If you don't mind,

we might have to ask you a few questions just to fill in the gaps,

if that's OK with yourselves. That's fine. OK.

My name's Dave and this is Mick. I'm Mick.

Has he been in the hospital recently at all?

He was in hospital eight weeks ago.

They discharged him approximately eight weeks ago

from Newcross Hospital. OK.

He's been on palliative care ever since.

Right. OK. They gave him between six and 12 weeks, approximately.

OK.

I've got to ask for a next of kin.

That's me. That's yourself.

Daughter, wasn't it? Yeah, middle daughter. Yeah.

And your full name, sorry?

Hello, TeleMed, it's 4452.

Can I pass all these details of Form 12s, please?

Yeah, sure. The patient's name was a Paul Steven Jellyman.

He was born in Stoke-on-Trent.

Yeah, he was a delivery driver previously.

I confirmed at 16:57.

He was found supine in his bed.

Certainly most people who get towards my age

have come across death quite a few times in their life.

And I've had experience of holding someone while they were

completely passing away.

My first wife cardiac arrested on me.

So you can understand what people are going to go through.

It's like shell shock in a battle.

What helped me was my son and my daughter,

and I had plenty of memories to think about.

Good memories.

Undertakers generally come out within an hour.

They've got our number as well if there's any problems and obviously

Emma's as well, and I'm sure there won't be. OK?

All right. I'm sorry for your loss, anyway. It's all right.

Come on.

OK? Yeah.

Hello, it's the Ambulance Service. Are you the patient?

Hello, sweetheart. I understand you've been bitten twice

on your leg by a dog, is that right?

OK. Don't worry, we're going to arrange some help for you.

Do you know what type of dog it is, what breed it is?

Jack Russell, OK.

HE HUMS A TUNE

Vehicle not required.

It's the Thursday day shift.

Controller Mike is working out where to send Matt and Ryan.

HE EXHALES

50, you're not going to believe it,

our regular is asking us to attend him at Coral bookmakers.

No way!

Third time today we've been out to him, anyway.

Went mid morning, we went about two hours ago.

Third ambulance today!

Yeah, we'll go and have a word with him.

This will be the 17th time the Ambulance Service has seen

this patient this month.

He just goes out, calls an ambulance.

When we get there, he refuses treatment, just wants taken home.

You know, within minutes or hours, he's back out the door again.

You're losing the battle, really.

I'd love to know how many times we've been to him. Hundreds.

That's him there, smoking.

All I want is to go home. You need a taxi, not an ambulance.

We can't take you back home.

Please tell me you haven't asked for an ambulance to take you home?

I haven't asked for an ambulance.

The lady just said you keep asking everybody to ring you an ambulance.

No. Three ambulances you've had today. Have I?

BOTH: Yeah.

You've been taken home twice already.

10:30 this morning and then you...

I might have done, I don't know.

It's definite. It's definitely happened.

That's quite worrying, isn't it, from our point of view?

No. Right.

OK. Just so you know... I want to go...

We're not happy with your clinical situation at the moment.

We're not happy. There's nothing wrong with it.

You keep repeating yourself over and over, and over.

I have to because you keep on...

But you're telling me you can't remember having two ambulances out.

How can you not remember that?

VOICE-OVER: We go to many different regulars.

They expect us to just take them home.

They expect us to take them to the pub.

You name it, I've probably come across it in 14 years.

It's costing the Ambulance Service, and the NHS as a whole, a fortune

if these people are having 50, 60, 70 attendances through the year.

And the implications it has on other patients who could have had that

ambulance. So there's other pathways to look at for these people.

You've got to draw the line at some point.

I'm a bit concerned about his mental health, to be quite honest.

If he's saying that he can't remember having two ambulances

and being taken home twice,

it's not right to sort of keep allowing this to happen, really.

Yeah, roger that. I'll chase it up with the police.

Matt and Ryan hope police can persuade the patient

to accept long-term help, but they can't leave him on his own

so need to wait until officers arrive.

Oh, dear.

Ambulance Service. Is the patient breathing?

Yes.

Let me find out what's going on.

Are you coming with us, yeah?

Are you on the phone to the Ambulance Service, sir?

Why have you asked for it?

We can't take you home.

Yes, you can. No, we can't.

We're an emergency Ambulance Service.

DISPATCHER: Right, OK, I can hear what's going on.

You've just rang... You've knocked on this chap's door.

It's OK, darling. I work for the Ambulance Service.

We're on vehicle 4450.

Yeah, this gentleman's now walked up the road

and knocked on number 46.

I think we've just had another call for it.

He's asked for an ambulance to take him home again.

I can't believe he's knocked on there.

PHONE RINGS

Hello.

Can I request your attendance on this one, please?

He's a real handful.

We could do with some officers there pronto, please.

He's knocking on members of the public's door

asking for them to send him an ambulance,

even though there's one following him several yards behind.

This is the third time we've been called to him today.

There's a question over his capacity.

He's flagging somebody else down now.

He's going to be doing it again and again, and again.

We're with him, mate. He keeps walking off from us.

We'll deal with it, yeah. You're on your way.

Watch your feet, Matt. Why are you stopping cars now?

I'm not stopping cars. He stopped. We've just seen you.

We just watched. He just stopped. We saw you flag him down.

You're a bloody liar.

Right, come here a minute.

He keeps walking off every time they go near him to try and...

..to try and deal with him in any way or do anything with him.

It takes 30 minutes for the police to arrive.

He wants an ambulance? Yeah, he's asking everybody for an ambulance.

Now he's saying he doesn't. He said he hasn't had an ambulance today.

He's had three. All he wants, mate, is an ambulance

to take him home every single time. That's all he wants.

They arrange for their mental health team to assess the patient.

We'll follow him down and I'll get a few details

and make sure everything's OK. All right. You can shoot off.

All right. Cheers, chaps. Thank you very much.

Something needs to be done.

He's got dementia or something that nobody's picked up on.

There's got to... There's got to be something. The only way...

The sooner we put a stop to it, the better. Unreal.

Ambulance Service. Is the patient breathing?

Are they conscious?

OK, what's happened?

A wound to the throat? Has the patient been assaulted?

Right. OK, help is being arranged.

Can you calm down? Is she breathing noisily...

11pm, and twin sisters Karen and Julie

are working their regular Friday night shift together.

Right, listen... Listen, if you're saying...

If she's not breathing in and out normally,

you need to help her breathing, OK?

So, put me on loudspeaker now.

Karen is trying to talk an aggressive caller through first aid.

Paramedics and police have been dispatched.

Is she able to talk to you?

Right, all we're trying to do is help her, OK?

If the blood comes through that wound,

put another cover on top so it doesn't bleed out.

Can you please stop shouting and swearing?

What's your name, please?

There is an ambulance there, OK?

They're coming as quickly as they can.

Are the crew there with you, sir?

I'll let you go, sir. All the best.

The police are there. He said the police are there, yeah.

The police are there? Yeah.

I'm sorry, Deirdre, I don't normally get like this. It's OK.

It's OK. Don't worry.

OK.

Karen's call was the 90th trauma of the Friday night shift.

By 11:15pm, the control room is taking a new 999 call

every 20 seconds.

A quarter of them are alcohol-related.

What's happened?

Is he intoxicated?

In east Staffordshire, there's an emergency call

for a 17-year-old in need.

Right. Is he awake?

Paramedics Connor and Sam are the nearest available crew.

# Where you think you're going, baby

# Hey, I just met you and this is crazy

# But here's my number so call me maybe

# Hey, I just met you... #

Sad that I know the words to this, isn't it? I don't know the words.

# But here's my number so call me maybe. #

BEEPING

New job. We're going to a 17-year-old gentleman

who is short of breath and fighting for breath.

See, I feel incomplete because we didn't manage to finish the song.

SHE LAUGHS

Ah, here we go.

Hiya.

I've been to you before. You've been to me before. Yeah.

I'm only joking. Calm down. Let's sort Reece out.

THEY JEER

OK, right, stop, stop.

Stop, stop!

Listen, all of you, right?

Just shut up a minute.

Shut up a minute. Let's sort him out, yeah? Yeah?

I said I'd go with him... Right, lovely, thank you.

A bit of quiet. Right, Reece, what's happening, sweetheart?

HE SHOUTS

Reece, how much have you had to drink?

Just a little bit. Yeah.

So, what's happened to you tonight, then, Reece?

I've had some shots!

He's all right now.

Yeah.

Have we just been drinking, or...?

Just been drinking, yeah?

Obviously, we can't do our assessment on him,

we can't hear what he's saying while

everyone's going mad and shouting, yeah? Right, Reece...

Any family or girlfriend?

I think I've had a bit too much to drink.

Yeah, I think you have as well.

Sam, I think we'd be better going to the ambulance,

getting him out of this situation.

We'll get you down to the ambulance first...

Sam and Connor are concerned,

but to make a proper assessment

they must persuade Reece to go to the ambulance.

The problem is... The problem we've got, Reece,

is your heart rate and your blood pressure are too high, right?

Well, I'll sit down and do it proper now.

Listen, you've had your chance now,

so we're going to go to the ambulance where it's quiet and calm,

and we're going to assess you there. I ain't going anywhere.

While Connor and Sam negotiate with Reece,

15 miles away, a woman is calling because

her father is in cardiac arrest.

It's the highest category of call.

Two ambulance crews and a paramedic officer are immediately dispatched.

Can you hear or feel any breathing now?

In the control room, Karen's twin sister Julie

must give CPR instructions over the phone.

Right, OK. Stop screaming and listen to me.

Listen. Kneel by his side.

Put the heel of your hand in the centre of his chest and your other

hand on top. Keep your arms straight and press down

at least two inches. Don't be afraid to push too hard.

You're doing it at a speed of

one and two and three, one and two and three.

Keep going.

Don't stop. Help's being arranged, love.

Stay on the line with me.

Keep going, love. If he starts... Listen, listen. It's all right.

If he starts to breathe and move normally,

then just turn him onto his side, all right?

About one minute, two minutes for both crews. OK.

Keep going, love. Lock your elbows out.

Remember, you're going down about two inches.

One and two and three, one and two and three.

Keep going.

Is that the crew, love?

12 minutes after the patient's family started CPR,

the first ambulance has arrived.

OK, love. Well done. Bye-bye, now.

What a night. What a night.

Never mind. Well done. Thank you.

After continuing resuscitation,

paramedics have managed to get Julie's patient's heart going.

It is a ROSC.

So, if you wouldn't mind telling Julie.

The Ambulance Service calls this return of spontaneous circulation,

or ROSC.

Job 208. Yes?

It was a ROSC. Oh, was it?

Yes. Well done. That's great news.

That's really good. Good, well done. Thank you.

Thank you.

Oh, that's really good.

Oh, I'm chuffed to bits about that.

I've earned my cup of tea tonight.

I'm glad you sit next to me.

I'm glad you sit next to me.

Come on, mate. Come on.

Connor and Sam have persuaded 17-year-old Reece

that the party's over.

I've got a hole in my sock!

Right, then, Reece. What going on tonight?

I've just had a bit too much to drink, that's all.

He drank a whole bottle of Ciroc. A whole bottle? Yeah.

SAM: What is Ciroc? It's like a...

If you need to be sick, you be sick in that.

OK. I can hack a session, mate! Dude...

Right, if you're sick, sick in the bowl, all right?

Can I have some gas and air? Why?

To get HIGH.

I think you've had enough, mate. You can't have gas and air.

You've had enough.

That's better. Now we're out of that situation,

we've calmed down quite a bit.

Reece, the problem we've got is, Reece,

is you're 17 years old, right?

You're pissed. Yeah?

So, our advice is that you need to go home.

Well, I'm sure I'm just going to go to sleep when I get up there.

CONNOR: Really? Yeah. Because I believe that.

We're all back down to normal again now.

Get back on the session!

Let's do your temperature. What's going on?

I'm taking his temperature at the moment, mate.

Are you going to hospital or what?

Nah, I'm coming back in for the sesh.

Whoa! I'm taking your temperature!

Ah! Oh, Jesus Christ! How old are you?

That hurt my ear, that one did.

VOICE-OVER: It's hard when you are with someone that is intoxicated,

because at that moment in time, you've got a duty of care to that

individual who's called you because they're intoxicated,

and you can't leave that individual until you know that they're safe.

Ooh! Hang on!

You didn't tell me you were doing that! I did!

Maybe you should listen a bit. REECE LAUGHS

Try listening.

You've got to be so careful that you don't get stuck in this mentality

of, "I'm only here to deal with the cardiac arrests, the RTCs,

"the people that are on death's door."

Yeah, that's a part of the job that we do,

but the job is completely different now.

This whole social side, it's the world live in now.

That's what we deal with.

After checking Reece over, Connor and Sam are satisfied

there's nothing medically wrong with him.

They leave him in the care of his 18-year-old friend.

You can't go out that door. You've got to go out the side door.

I'm all right, mate. Thanks for coming. Yes, boss, man! My dog.

Watch your step, now. I respect you for that, you know?

I'm so sorry.

Take care.

Across Britain, paramedics spend more than a third of their time

dealing with alcohol-related incidents.

All right, Baz. Morning, mate.

Lots of drunks and overdoses... Friday night.

Everybody's on that needs to be. OK.

And there's no obvious problems, no mixed crews or anything, so...

Excellent.

Bye. Have a good one.

The following evening, Connor and Sam are back on

for another 12-hour night shift.

Hello? Hiya.

Their first call is to 81-year-old Thelma, who's fallen at home.

So, what's happened today, then?

Well, what happened was, I was going in the bathroom, had my wash...

OK. ..turned round to come through that door

and as I came through, I just... My legs just went.

Your legs went? OK. Yeah.

And I landed on my bottom, really. Right. But there's nothing...

Not hurting anywhere? ..hurting.

Can I have a little feel of your wrist

while we're having a chat, sweetie?

Did you go funny in your head at all? No.

Or did you just feel like your legs

just went out from underneath you? Yeah. OK.

And you didn't hit your head when you fell over? No.

One, two, three.

Ooh, me knee.

SHE GROANS

You did that all by yourself.

That's it.

You just get your balance. OK. Don't lose me.

We're not going to lose you, don't worry.

I want to sit down somewhere. We will.

We're going to get you sat down on that bed.

That's it. And do a little turn. Turn and face me.

Is that your frame just there, just behind you?

I bet you've got a girlfriend. I have, I've got a fiancee.

Oh, fiancee. I have. Very posh.

Very posh? We're getting married this year.

That's it. Is that better? That's better. There we go.

Like I say, if you need us, call us back.

He's a nice little boy, isn't he? Lovely, isn't he? He's beautiful.

I'll smack his arse.

THEY LAUGH

You'll make me go red, Thelma.

You be a good boy. I will be, I will be.

Take care, Thelma.

Ambulance Service. Is the patient breathing?

Is the patient conscious?

OK. And is it possible to speak to the patient directly?

Is it a cardiac nature, or...?

"Stabbing and twisting pains worsening,

"chest and back pain, short of breath, cancer patient."

Morning. Hello.

What's happening with you, then, this evening?

OK. I've got...

I've got the full English breakfast of cancers.

The full English breakfast? The full English breakfast, so... Go for it.

Bowel, liver, spine...

Yeah. I've missed one.

..bone.

The other thing was that, the cancer was...

I was given under 12 months. I've made ten.

Do you want to...?

You grab onto me, sweetheart.

That's it. Do you want a bit of gas and air to try?

Oh, I don't know. Fucking hell... Sorry.

You swear as much as you want. This is it, this is where the...

No?

As soon as you move, the knives are in.

OK. Just try and relax. And...

It was yesterday...

I've never realised what it's like not to breathe.

So, you're trying to breathe in...

But the more you're breathing in, the more it's hurting.

So, is it actually...? The more you shallow it...

And this is where... I'm glad you're seeing it now.

Trust me, you are breathing... Oh, I know I'm breathing.

..which is good.

So, shall we do a few checks on you, then?

The usual stuff, and then we'll go from there.

38.4.

Temperature's fine. No, it's high. That's high. Oh, is it? Yeah.

38.4.

You've got a slight temperature, your heart rate's slightly raised,

so you might have a bit of an infection going on.

Good news is, you get to spend a bit more time with me.

A trip to the hospital.

A trip to the hospital, I'm afraid.

Sorry. We're going to pop him up the hospital.

I thought that was going to happen. Yeah. I'm afraid so.

A bit of a temperature.

And with everything else that's going on,

and obviously, with the pain relief, get the pain under control,

get this query infection under control and...

We haven't tried the trumpet yet, have we, love?

He's got an air horn in there, so when he needs me,

I have to come running, you see? Is that to get your attention?

A friend thought it was a good idea.

Just bear in mind it is quarter past one. Ready?

AIR HORN BLARES

LAUGHTER

I bet your neighbours love you, don't they?

Thank you.

Nige, do you want me to let the boys know?

I don't know what difference it will make, love.

No. Why disturb their night's sleep?

Bolt upright, or...?

Basically, do what we tell you to do.

INDISTINCT

THEY LAUGH

I'll set Sam on you.

She'll have you if you don't listen to her.

Anyone would think my driving's bad with all these straps on you.

It's like a racing harness, this is. You want to see me go.

Well, I ride motorbikes, and I also ride...

I also ride for blood bikes as well, so... Do you?

Yeah. We like... I like my bikes. Oh, do you do blood bikes? Yeah.

See, I've always wanted to ride a bike,

and I've said that if I ever did, I'd want a Bonneville Triumph.

Oh, my God. Right, so you're going back classic, then? Yeah.

Shall we get going?

She starts misbehaving on the way in, you give me a shout, Nige.

No, I won't be telling you, don't worry.

I don't think you would.

So, how many children have you got?

Well, I come from Southampton,

so I've got two daughters down on the south coast.

And then I've got two boys up here. Yeah.

And Oliver, my oldest boy, he gets married

at the beginning of July,

and Nick is going to have my other grandson at the beginning of July,

so... So exciting. Oh, it is so exciting.

I just want to make it.

I just want to make it.

One thing that...

It might sound strange to you,

but the one benefit I've found from having cancer

is that we, Karen and I, have managed to get our life...

BEEPING

So, our insurances have paid out.

Both boys, we're in the process of buying their houses,

stuff like that.

So, I can actually possibly lay here,

and I have done quite a few times, and say I'm quite happy.

It sounds awful, doesn't it? No, not at all. It sounds awful.

Why does it? It just does.

You know, I'm lying here happy, thinking...

I don't want to die, obviously,

but just the fact that you can help your kids out.

That's the gold in life, isn't it? That is the gold in life.

Every cloud... Every cloud.

Reality's starting to hit now, though.

That's the worst part of it.

I think we see the best in people.

I don't know where people get this inner strength from.

Are you going to hold these on your lap? Yep. Is that OK?

Was that a comfortable position, then? That was cracking.

Was it? We don't want to move you now.

I don't particularly want to move now.

Shall we just keep you on for the rest of the shift? Yeah.

I don't think you know until you get put in a situation

where you have to be strong,

you don't really know how strong you are.

Right, then, let's get you sorted out.

Can we just pass them to you?

You're going to roll towards me.

OK. I'm glad we... I know.

Stay relaxed. You've wanted that cuddle

ever since I arrived, haven't you? I just want to touch your tats.

You do. Feel free.

I'm glad you said tats then.

Honestly, Nigel. OK.

Ready, steady, slide.

Cancer.

OK, can we get him booked in? Yeah. I'll get it sorted.

All right, then, Nige. Look after yourself. Thank you, folks.

All the best, buddy, OK? Thank you very much. Take care.

It's always hard when you see someone

that you know may not survive.

How you deal with it, you know...

It's quite an internal thing.

Like anything, you relate it to your personal experience in life,

don't you?

My fiancee got diagnosed with cervical cancer when she was 24.

She's been battling that for quite a while.

When she was about 26, her bowel perforated

and she had to have emergency surgery for that.

Since then, they've said everything's stable

and they've classed her as being in remission.

But there's always that thought in the back of my mind

that, you know, maybe one day it will come back.

I don't know if I've come to terms with that yet.

Mate. Come here, mate. Come here.

It's not something that I talk about.

I just bottle it up.

It's just easier that way.

A lot easier.

It's not though, is it, in the long run?

It may never happen. It may be fine.

But I worry about stupid things.

Selfish things.

I get upset about how I'm going to cope if she does go.

It's selfish, because it's not me. Why is that selfish?

Because I'm not the one that's going through it.

Well, you are. You're going through it together, though, aren't you?

She's so strong when she goes through it.

I just... I can't, mate. I just struggle.

You look at him, and you just think he's...

He's just amazing, isn't he?

How can he go through all that and still be so...

..have such a good outlook?

It's... Exactly, yeah. That's why you talk about it.

I think it upsets the relatives and the family more than

it upsets the individuals going through it a lot of the time

because they can...

They accept that it's going to happen to them,

but it's everyone around that can't accept it.

Well, in my case, anyway.

I need a cup of tea. I do, too.

Really need a cup of tea after that.

All right. Let's do it. Off to the next one.

You driving or am I driving? It's up to you. You'll drive.

Where have I put the keys? I don't know.

Are they in there? Right.

Shake it off.

Let's do it. Let's go.

Mick and Dave have returned to Royal Stoke Hospital

where they brought Denise after her heart attack.

A colleague has news.

I spoke to Kath in critical care. Yeah?

Unfortunately, she passed away in critical care.

No. Yeah. Oh, shit.

Shit.

And I don't care if I'm swearing.

Her husband... John, weren't it? Oh, Christ.

He won't be...

A lovely, lovely guy.

Cheers, Stu. Cheers. All right.

Shit. It has upset me.

You what?

It has upset me.

Yeah.

# Later here this morning... #

Oh, shit.

# If the crowds hold back the rain

# I'll declare my intent to race again. #

You do feel some jobs more than others.

You empathise with people's pain, if you like.

But the job doesn't get me down.

It's a privilege to be able to help people in their hour of need.

I like to be useful,

and it gets me out the house.

# And I've got nothing on the inside left to charm

# Just look at me

# And I've got nothing to live up to

# And nothing to reveal

# Go on, run for me

# Go on, run for me

# Go on, run for me

# Because I can't take it back

# Gone the summer

# Gone the past

# Now it's done

# Now it's done. #

Next on Ambulance...

Oh, God.

Oh, shit. Oh, my God.

What was he doing? Two ambulances, please, if possible.

I'm Nigel.

I believe your husband called us about a valuation on your prop...

When I get an opportunity, I look for a way to get my son back

and remove her from my life.

How's your son? Fine, I think.

I'm winning.