Episode 1 Junior Paramedics

-Ambulance Service. Tell me exactly what's happened.

-It's my husband.

-I can't wake him up.

-Just confirm for me, is he awake?

He's not comatose. I'm trying to feel a pulse...

He's on the floor. He's unresponsive.

Cardiac arrest.

A call to a cardiac arrest.

The paramedics have just eight minutes to get to the scene.

And just 12 minutes to save the patient's life.

Do you want to do another pulse check just before we move him?

It is a scenario that can test the most experienced paramedic.

But what if you are a first year student

and it is your first week on the job?

Meet the junior paramedics.

Does this make me look vain?

It is quite scary and daunting. I am only 19.

Little ticklish feet!

When we go to a really serious job, like a cardiac arrest.

I will have to get involved.

You feel like you are doing something that means something,

and it is making a difference.

Flying around with the blue lights, I think that'll be good! I'm not going to lie!

Let's go do some shots.

The shifts are going to be hard to get used to.

I hate mornings, I am not a morning person at all.

All of the paramedics I have spoken to have said there will always

be one thing, when you get there, you don't know what,

but it affects you really badly.

You've got to be prepared to go in someone's house

and not be scared of the outcome.

I am definitely quite worried dealing with my first fatal,

or the first body that I come to.

Being a paramedic is definitely my dream,

something I have always wanted.

Studying for a degree in paramedic science is tough.

Failure is not an option!

Six weeks of dealing with real people in real emergencies is even tougher.

I got up about 12 hours ago and I am yawning all the time

and I am shattered already.

Ready to go to bed now.

Working gruelling shifts and being constantly assessed.

You do struggle to speak to people, that is evident.

They are young, they are untested...

Oh, my God.

..and every day is a matter of life or death.

I was like, "Whoa-oh!" Adrenaline!

For these student paramedics it is make or break on the emergency front-line.

Stop!

'Hello, can I have the fire brigade and the K13s, please?'

'Is somebody trapped or outbreaks of a fire, please?'

'Yes, we've got a gentleman that going to need cutting out of his car.'

A serious crash.

A male casualty.

This paramedic has been on an ambulance for just a matter of weeks.

Now people's lives are in his hands.

-Good luck.

-Yeah!

Today, 19-year-old Bryn will leave home for the very first time.

See you in a bit.

And he isn't the only one.

I'm going to cry now!

Our nine students are flying the nest to the

University of Northampton.

They'll share their lives with other

regular students by living in the halls of residence.

As well as enjoying their new-found freedom and friends,

they'll have to learn how to cook, clean and clear up after themselves.

Life at university will be a completely new

experience for all of the junior paramedics.

University is a big challenge

and training to be a paramedic is a big step.

After just six weeks in a classroom learning the basics,

the young students are about to be thrust out on placement with

the East Midlands Ambulance Service.

It's really quite scary to think I've been

trained for six weeks and then people might me depending on me.

They'll be dealing with real incidents that could mean

the difference between life or death.

So much to do, so much to take in.

But I think when we start doing it on placement it will all

cement in a little bit more.

And for one paramedic that placement starts now.

Corby Ambulance Station, and the youngest junior paramedic,

18-year-old Steph, is the first start to on shift.

She's still waiting for that first callout to come in but with

so much at stake on these placements,

she's already keen to impress mentor, Sam, by getting involved.

First job, first shift. I'm excited but I'm nervous.

Some 18-year-olds don't really know who

they are yet, but I feel like I do.

I always knew I would be the young one, you go to interviews and all others are like 20, 30.

Being at home, I like it, no rent, my mum cooks my dinner,

I've always been quite a high achiever

I don't like to think I would go into this career

and stay at the same level, I would like to go up quite quickly.

She's ambitious. She knows what she wants and will get it.

I was getting it, every year, I was like, "I absolutely will eventually."

In school she was top of everything, you couldn't beat her.

Even if you smile, you, like, stupid smile...

She's really positive, hardly ever sad or down or anything.

She keeps everyone happy.

That person's life is in your mentor's, and partially your hands,

you need to do it and do it well.

Don't think there's anything going to stop you mentally then.

Junior paramedics are not exempt from being called to the most severe jobs.

So they have to be prepared.

If we have a respiratory arrest or a cardiac arrest

we'll be taking this in.

Just have a good look through stuff and get yourself familiar with it.

If we go to a really serious job like a cardiac arrest

I will have to get involved.

So the thought of the control saying it is a cardiac arrest,

I'm instantly going to be like, "Oh, my God, here we go,

"this is me." It's going to be quite scary.

RADIO: 38-year-old male, cardiac arrest.

Oh, God...

And then the call comes in that every junior paramedic dreads.

RADIO: 011, was that last message received? Over.

Received, we're mobile.

The East Midlands Ambulance service deals with more than 150 chest pain related calls every day.

Any of these could be a potential heart attack - which could

mean a matter of life and death.

So it's something Steph is going to have to get used to.

My heart is absolutely racing.

When we go in,

we'll confirm it is a cardiac arrest cos it might not be,

so, ABCs, if it is we'll get the pads on straightaway...

I don't have to do that?

I'll do that, you'll start chest compressions.

We just have you doing chest compressions

if you're comfortable with that.

If you don't like it, step back,

we'll talk about it afterwards, you can't do anything more.

OK. Yeah.

-You'll be fine, OK?

-OK. I'm scared.

I need to do it, don't I?

Gonna be on my own in two years, so...

Mentor Sam can see how nervous her student is.

-Take a deep breath.

-Yeah, I'm terrified.

With eight minutes being the target response to cardiac callouts,

time is of the essence.

She may have been thrown in the deep end,

but Steph needs to be on top of her game.

-Suction.

-All right.

-That's it.

-Yep.

The suspect heart attack victim is in a flat on this estate.

And it pays for paramedics to know their patch.

Lots of drug problems around here

so it could be an opiates overdose, so check the pupils quite quickly.

-You want me to do that?

-Whoever gets the chance first.

OK, cos I'm scared.

How old is he?

They quickly establish that the male patient isn't having a heart attack.

Other paramedics arrive on scene

and are trying work things out from the patient's family.

PARAMEDIC:

Under the influence of drink, and now possibly drugs,

the man's out cold.

So as a duty of care the paramedics have to take him

to hospital to get checked out.

I was like, "Whoa, whoa!"

Adrenaline, don't think I've ever had

an adrenaline rush like that in my life,

can you see it in my eyes?

As far as I knew I was going in ready to do chest compressions,

with Sam getting ready for me to do it.

But it didn't turn out that way.

My first job, I remember being stood round the lady's bed

and thinking, "Why am I here?", kinda thing.

And just standing watching.

I certainly didn't do as much as Steph did, straightaway on my first job.

She's done really, really well.

The other junior paramedics still have a few

days before they begin their shifts on the ambulances.

So they take the opportunity to meet their mentors -

qualified paramedics who work across Northamptonshire and Leicestershire.

This is where all the ambulances are most of the time.

By going out with their mentors on shift,

the students will be assessed by them as part of their degree course.

-Have a seat.

-Thank you.

So their performance will impact on whether they make the grade.

This is probably the biggest learning curve for them,

doing everything for the first time.

Scary and exciting at the same time.

We'll get you involved as much as we can.

To the extent that you're feeling comfortable.

-Good.

-You will be getting stuck in,

you will be getting dirty, covered in stuff that's not particularly yours.

I heard from other lecturers that you were a student and came through and done it that way?

Yeah, it's hard work. Shifts are very long.

It's very demanding physically as well as mentally.

Don't be scared. I know it is easy to say.

We won't ever let anything happen that's going to be detrimental.

Have fun. My advice is never run,

it's better to get there than not to get there at all,

or fall over and make a complete arse of yourself before you do get there.

Back at halls, 19-year-old Lucy is getting to grips with

living away from home.

Very sad that I've never been here before!

Before going out on an ambulance she has to get her head round

some more complicated technology.

I don't know what to do!

She's getting her first taste of doing her own laundry.

What do I press then?

What an imbecile.

I'm too much of a mummy's girl!

I come from a huge medical background.

My mum used to be a nurse and my dad is a GP.

She's keen, she's able, she's good at learning.

She's good with people.

I don't think there's many more stressful things than

going to a scene of a cardiac arrest or going to the scene of someone being drunk.

# Work hard, play hard... #

I do like nights out.

Let's go do some shots.

Having no social life for six weeks whilst

I'm on placement is fine.

I want to do as many shifts as I can, and see as much as I can

so if that means not having a massive social life

that is not a problem for me.

She is a very dependable person

so I have no doubt she'll make a good paramedic.

She is also really chatty, she gets on with people.

It's hard not to love her. I'm sure she'll be brilliant.

I think I'm a determined person when it comes to what I really

want, in terms of the course I want to be a paramedic more than anything.

I won't give up. I'll just keep going until I'm a paramedic.

But even before Lucy's journey starts it could all be taken away from her.

An accident has resulted in her damaging her wrist,

so she's gone to see course leader Bob Willis.

I've been to A&E and it's broken.

Top of the radius.

The rules are, if you're off sick for a month,

then you're going to have to suspend for a year.

SHE SIGHS

It's not worth putting you at risk, sending you out on

placement with a fractured wrist,

cos if you had to do CPR or lift someone, who was really ill...

What can you do?

But Lucy's first placement isn't for a few days yet, so all is not lost.

I wouldn't go sick until your placement's due to start.

That gives you time to go back to fracture clinic

and get the detail of what the fracture is

-and how quickly it's likely to heal.

-Yeah.

But the worst case scenario is

that's it, for a year, anyway.

'I'll be absolutely gutted if I can't go out on placement.'

I've wanted to get on this course.

It's meant everything that I've got a place and

I'll be absolutely gutted if I can't go out.

Absolutely gutted.

-Hiya, is it Lucy?

-Yes.

Hi, I'm Alastair.

So, for Lucy, this may be the first

and last time she meets mentor Alistair.

A further X-ray will decide whether she needs to keep

the cast on her fractured wrist.

I'm not allowed on placement in cast.

If it's in cast for longer than four weeks, they've said

that I'll have to defer and restart next September.

It's all a bit up in the air, really.

Obviously, as soon as I know anything, I'll let you know.

Yeah, OK. Great.

If it's bad news at her next appointment

and the cast stays on,

she's off the course till next year.

As Lucy is left to contemplate her fate,

it's a 6am start for 19-year-old Amy, on her first ever shift.

'I'm absolutely terrified.

'Got butterflies in my stomach.

'I didn't sleep last night, I was that worried.

'I'm really nervous, cos you don't know

'what kind of calls we're going to get

'and with only my first day, there's only so much I can do.'

I'm just scared that I can't remember everything I've learnt

and I can't bring the skills I've learnt into the job.

It's quite a scary thought that

someone's life could be in my hands today

and I could be helping to save someone's life.

Having moved over 200 miles from her home near Newcastle to follow

her dream of being a paramedic,

Amy is the junior who's the furthest away from her family.

I'm quite a girlie girl, doing my hair and make-up.

I hope the paramedics don't see it

as weak or not good enough for the job.

I do spend a lot of time with my mum and dad and talk to them

about everything, really.

She's always had her own mind.

Never been a follower. She's always sort of done what she wanted to do.

'The longest I've ever been away from home

'has probably only been two weeks,

'so, to be away from home for three months is a massive thing for me.'

I think she's always been very sensitive.

Probably cry now!

I'm worried about keeping all those emotions inside.

I'm quite an emotional person. I do cry at everything.

Thank you very much.

'Saving a life, when that first happens,

'that's going to be a massive high.'

That's what you do the job for, isn't it, really, to save people's lives?

I'm looking forward to that the most.

Today, Amy's out with her mentor, Shay.

They've got an unusual call -

a man who says he's been bitten by a spider.

Received, thank you.

-Hello? Hello. Is it yourself?

-You coming in?

-Hello.

I think we'll come in and have a look at you, if that's all right?

Yes, please.

Hi, Ron, I'm Shay and this is Amy.

So, Ron, what's actually happened?

What happened was...

Whoops...

-I tell you what, shall we just sit there for a second?

-Yeah.

Let's just sit there for a second.

Do you want to tell us what happened?

-I went into... I'm sorry, I'm a bit emotional.

-Don't worry.

Ron, don't worry.

I went in to get some oranges and I put my hand in

and got the oranges and I felt something bite me.

-Shall we have a little look at your hand?

-It's here.

-Which one is it?

-This one?

-It's that.

-This is where you were bitten?

That's where I was bitten. You can see my hand's swollen up.

I came home, I walked into the kitchen, I don't remember anything.

I remember going down and hitting the floor.

My arm hit the floor hard...

-So, Ron, you've had a fall since coming home then?

-Oh, yes.

Shall we try and sit you on the settee safely? What do you think?

I'll get up. I'm partially blind, as well.

All right. How much can you see?

Ron's blackout means that this

-callout has taken a more serious turn.

-My wife died...

It's Amy's first taste of how paramedics have to

think on their feet and act fast to changing circumstances.

I'll just do your blood pressure on this arm, if that's all right?

-This is going to get tight on your arm, OK?

-Yes.

-You busy?

-It's not been too bad today, no.

-I feel terrible about bringing you out.

-Not at all.

We want to make sure you're all right.

Yes, I know. Thank you so much.

Ron may appear calm on the outside,

but his blood pressure reading is shocking.

I could hear it at 280 down to 110.

Your blood pressure's sky-high, Ron.

-You've never had a stroke or anything?

-Yes, I have.

-I've had three.

-You've had three of them. OK.

It's probably best you go through for a checkup. What do you think?

You're the professional.

But his dangerously high blood pressure

doesn't seem to be bothering him.

He seems more interested in having a good natter with rookie Amy.

How much longer have you got to train for?

I've got two years left, yes.

Very intense two-year course, though.

I've got very high admiration for you.

I've always said that paramedics,

they know as much as a doctor, in fact, more.

It's a wonderful thing, I think.

-That's nice to hear.

-I think you're wonderful.

But Amy's got work to do.

I'm just going to pop these on your chest.

Ron needs an ECG, which will monitor his heart rate.

But there's a sticking point.

His chest hair is getting in the way of the monitor's pads.

So, Amy needs to do some gardening.

I really apologise for this, but we are going to have to

shave your chest a little bit, just so these can stick on.

Cos they're not going to stick

and they're not going to read correctly.

I haven't done this before.

-Can you...?

-In that motion.

-And this?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-It's just to get the sticky dots on.

-OK.

Probably one of the things of the job that you think you'd never

sign up to shave somebody's hairy chest.

Where am I going? Like...

Can you do it?

Sorry, I don't want to hurt you, cos I haven't done this.

Very good. Very wise.

'So I got Shay to do it.'

I was bit nervous, in case I was going to cut him,

but that was an interesting experience.

At least I know how to deal with it next time that comes along.

I think I'll be able to handle it better

and maybe do it myself next time.

I'd rather see it being done

than try it myself for the first time, I think.

Ron's ECG results have come back as irregular.

How are you feeling now, Ron, do you think?

I feel a bit woozy, I'll be fair.

Coupled with his dizziness and earlier blackout,

the decision is made to get him checked out at hospital.

But, as Amy and Shay came in a fast response car,

they've had to call an ambulance to collect him.

As they wait, Ron starts to open up about his late wife.

It was about 11 o'clock, we came back from the hospital.

She died at 10:30 that night.

Yeah. 10:30. She died.

It's something that I'll never, never get over. Never get over.

I'll never get over losing her.

The shock of that, a blood vessel burst in my brain

and that's how I lost my sight.

But it's very strange, because, to me, she's still here.

I can feel her.

I know she's here. I can feel her.

'It was hard, but really, we went in to talk to Ron and'

when we got here, it's a bit more

than he's just had a bite with a spider.

He's just got to no-one to talk to at all.

-It's hard.

-Yeah.

-It's hard.

Very, very hard. I find it very hard.

Yeah, without her. Because we were like one...

God, it was incredible.

We were like one.

'I feel really stupid for getting teary about it,

'but it's just such a sad story.'

I don't know the man from Adam, but I think I can sort of relate.

My nana's got dementia, and my grandad, he's now living by himself.

He gets lonely and it just...

It sort of brings it home, like that.

In big part thanks to Amy listening, Ron is back on his feet

-and a bit more chipper for his trip to hospital.

-Take care, Ron.

-I hope you get better.

-Will I see you again?

-I hope not.

I hope you don't have to ring for an ambulance again any time soon.

I hope you get better.

-Best of luck for your future.

-Thank you, thank you. Take care!

-Thank you very much!

-You're welcome.

-Bye.

-I just feel awful for people like that.

-Do you know what?

They're the ones that get to me, older people.

I don't know why, they just do.

Because I don't think they ring us up unless they really want us

and when you get there,

quite often they just pour their heart out about things.

But he's a lonely man, isn't he, as well?

He really wanted a good little natter.

'Ambulance service, tell me exactly what's happened.

'He's on the floor.'

'We need to help him now, but he has to be on a hard surface.'

'She's got heart problems.'

East Midlands Ambulance Service provides emergency response

and urgent care to almost five million people.

'Kneel next to him and look in his mouth for food or vomit.'

With a call coming in every 45 seconds,

the junior paramedics might be students,

but whilst on placement, they're being thrown in at the deep end.

'I'm organising help for you now, stay on the line.'

'Help's on its way to you, OK?'

'OK, thank you.'

The next junior paramedic to go out on placement is 19-year-old Max.

-All right, Max?

-Who will be with his mentor, Chris.

This is your first placement, Max, so, when we go in,

if there's anything you can't handle,

-I'll go in and sort it out and deal with things.

-Yeah.

So, if you'd like to check the green bag.

As well as being marked on their abilities to perform tasks,

the placement scheme is there to allow students to gain

confidence in performing paramedic duties.

This is one characteristic that cocksure Max isn't lacking.

I live in Lincoln. Just outside, in a little village.

I live with my mum and dad and little sister and my little brother.

And my dog, who I love loads. She's called Tilly.

Max really is a laid-back, charming character.

The ladies do love him.

-All right, Lucy?

-All right, sexy?

Pretty boy like you, Max, the ladies love you.

-I'm not touching your groin area.

-Why?

People might get the wrong idea.

I play rugby.

It's quite fast-paced, which I like.

'We have a game on Wednesday,

'so Wednesday nights, rugby lads social.

'If we've won, then everyone is really happy.'

Three, two, one, go!

SHOUTING AND LAUGHTER

Oh, man! Man!

It's quite exciting.

Probably most looking forward to just getting out there and being

first on the scene and dealing with all the different aspects.

And all the different skills that you have to learn to be a paramedic.

It's all really interesting.

Max is being kept busy on his shift with ladies of a certain age

and his easy manner is proving a hit with the older generation.

-Max just do your blood pressure? Is that OK?

-Yeah.

-Got a nice fat lip there, haven't you, Doreen?

-I know.

-So, just been doing a bit of shopping, then?

-Yeah.

You can tell everyone the other person came off worse, can't you?

Shall we get Max to escort you to the toilet?

-Have a feel of your hips, Doreen. Just tell me if it...

-That's nice.

So, Max has cracked it with the older patients.

But now, he faces a new challenge. A baby.

His next callout of the day is just five months old

and has suspected bronchitis.

It's a bit nippy, actually.

Hi, it's ambulance?

Been vomiting since last Friday

and then last night, proper projectile.

Everything just came out and he wouldn't feed at all.

When he coughs, as well, it chokes him.

BABY COUGHS

You're having a bit of a rough time, ain't you, mate?

It's the youngest patient that Max has ever been called to,

so it's a testing situation.

-How old is he?

-22 weeks.

So, is he being treated for anything at the minute?

-Bronchitis.

-Bronchitis?

But that won't stop Chris getting this rookie involved.

Throughout the placement scheme, the mentors will assess

the junior paramedics as they deal

with patients of all ages.

He was seven weeks premature

so that's why I was a bit worried, with his lungs and that.

Oh, dear!

Will I pop that back in?

Yeah?

Hello!

Max is going to do a pulse check in a second.

Hey, little man.

Just stick 'em on at the top of his chest...

briefly.

Don't stay 'em on for long cos they're quite sensitive.

-Yeah, will do. Hello!

-Have you got a little smile?

-Are you smiling?

Are you a good boy?

Shall I take these nasty stickers off now?

Yeah. Yeah.

Max is going to take some blood out of your little heel, mate.

It might make you all upset.

Blood sugar readings, or BMs,

are taken by pricking the heel of a baby,

rather than the finger.

Not on a baby, the digits are too small.

Are you ticklish? Hey?

Have you got little ticklish feet?

Is he tickling your feet?!

Just on the heel.

Good boy!

Good boy!

HE CRIES All right, mate.

Taking blood from a moving target

isn't something they teach at the university.

Sorry, little man.

BEEPING That's it. Good boy.

Right, if you get him dressed them, Mum,

we'll pop him into A&E.

-OK.

-OK.

All right, little buddy.

You're brave. You did well, didn't you?

With the tricky procedures out of the way,

Max can make sure this young patient gets a comfortable trip to hospital.

You're moving your hat all around.

It's going over your eyes. Where have you gone?!

Hey? You're in an ambulance, mate.

-Mum'll remind you of this when you're older.

-Oh, I will do.

We're only going to be about five, six minutes.

It's quite different

to obviously having an older patient that can talk and respond.

But he's cute, so it makes it OK.

Yeah, so, how do you think that job went, then?

Yeah, I think it was all right.

Babies are really difficult to assess.

He was pretty good really.

He was quite happy and chirpy.

BMs are quite tricky to do

and obviously they get upset when you do it.

But it needs to be done.

Yeah, obviously I would usually take from the finger

-but is it always on there?

-It is.

Because obviously the digits are so tiny.

Cos I think you did find it a bit tricky, didn't you?

Yeah, he was moving his foot around quite a bit.

It's all part of the learning curve.

I think Sam needs to wash the pots.

I was the last one to do it and that was...yesterday.

I can't wash up cos I'm injured. I've got a good excuse.

Stuck in her halls of residence, one junior paramedic

who still hasn't managed to go out on placement

is Lucy Mellor.

Days ago she received the devastating news

that her fractured wrist could mean her dream of becoming a paramedic

would need to be postponed for a year.

Worst-case scenario is...

that's it.

But Lucy's had some news

and she's dying to share that with fellow junior paramedic Bryn.

So how's your wrist now?

-Fine.

-Yeah?

-Better.

-Yeah, it's in support but it's better.

-Not in a cast, which is good.

So I can start placement, which is absolutely, like...

-over the moon.

-So you're buzzing?! Yay!

-Thanks, Bryn.

-It's all right!

Coming so close to not be able to go on placement,

I'm going to make absolutely the most of it.

And it's made me even more determined

cos I've seen how gutted I was.

'I'm determined to become a paramedic no matter what.'

Whether, you know...I won't give up.

All she needs to do now is pass her vital placement.

But as she gets ready for her first ever shift, there's a new problem.

My hair's so long and you can't have it on your collar.

It's got to be up above the collar so it's not, sort of, in the way.

So I've got to put it up in a bun.

But then when you have it in a bun, your helmet won't fit on.

She's a fully-trained beautician but today,

hair dilemmas are the least of her worries.

The shoes are so clumpy.

The bottom of them is like wearing heels.

This is absolutely huge on me!

Oh, my God.

This is so weird.

I feel like it's kind of all real.

Seeing...actually wearing the uniform,

I stick out like a sore thumb but...

It's actually...

actually happening.

But Lucy will have to put her nerves behind her

if she wants a good grade.

And the person who'll be assessing her

is mentor Alistair.

You've got the laryngoscope.

So we'll just check that works.

Then obviously you just make sure we've got every size of syringe,

10ml, 5ml, 2ml.

Then obviously the sodium chloride...

Lucy's first task -

getting to grips with the array of complicated equipment.

So many different things to remember.

It's a far cry from the classroom.

Completely different when you're actually

in the ambulance, on the road,

cos it's real life and it's got everything in it.

So, yeah, it does feel different. Definitely more real.

But if Lucy wants to pass the placement

and make it as a paramedic

she's going to have to deal with all that is thrown at her.

Yeah, yeah, received.

Like I say, we'll have a look then

and see what we can make out.

SIREN

So, again, what they're saying

is obviously if we think it's dodgy or whatever,

then we need to get the police.

Oh, puddle!

Paramedics often have to step into the unknown.

How do I turn these on?

But Lucy is still coming to terms with her equipment.

I don't know how to turn this torch on!

-How do you turn this on?

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Hiya.

She was found about 25 minutes ago.

She's been sick. She's had an argument with a friend,

-come out and this is how she's been found.

-Why is there a camera?

So what's happened then?

-No, but no pain, no?

-No.

Are you all right to sit up then, do you think?

I can try.

No signs of spinal injury.

But there's concern about the girl's bang to the head.

So she needs to be checked out in the ambulance.

Lucy's just going to take your temperature

and check your blood sugar. Is that OK?

-It's like a little pinprick in your finger.

-OK.

Yeah, if you sort of shove it in.

-All right for me to just pop this in your ear?

-Yeah.

-Is it this one?

No, that one. Yeah, that's it.

-That's it on?

-Is it on?

That's it. Now, once it's in, press that once and release it.

-Then let it beep.

-BEEPING

There you go.

Look, 35. OK.

LUCY WHISPERS

-I've never seen these before.

-Oh, you just press that against the...

-Just press it against...?

-The finger, yeah. Prick it.

Watch out.

Offer them a bit of warning(!)

-BEEPING

-Seven.

-You all right for a minute if I just nip out?

-Yeah.

When Alistair goes to speak to the person

who found the girl by the swings,

Lucy's bedside manner is put to the test.

(I'll definitely need a wash after this.)

-Pardon?

-I'll definitely need a wash after this.

Awkward silence.

Alistair's soon back to break the ice.

And he's decided the patient needs to go to hospital.

Lucy's been put on the spot once and struggled.

So Alistair decides to push her further into the spotlight.

So when we take the patient into A&E,

we hand over to A&E staff

and have to tell them everything that's happened.

and see what observations you've taken,

how a patient is, basically,

and what's wrong with the patient.

So then they can treat accordingly.

On a busy shift, a paramedic can make up to ten handovers.

It may be a daunting prospect for Lucy now

but it's something all juniors have to get used to.

Just take your time on it, really.

In order for the patient to receive the best treatment possible,

it's crucial it's done clearly and concisely.

So this inexperienced student can't afford to freeze up again.

OK. What's the problem?

So she was found by a bystander in a park.

They said she'd been unresponsive.

-What else?

-She stated that she'd fallen off the swing.

-Yeah.

She thinks she's bumped her head.

OK. Any observations please.

Yeah, I've got a pulse at 90.

'It didn't go too badly.

'I went a little bit blank.

'You're always going to be a little bit nervous but Alistair was there'

and he backed me up when I added in the extra details.

Yeah, it's all good practice

so I didn't feel too bad.

It'll get better every time I do it, I think.

-Thank you very much.

-All right. Brilliant.

-Bye.

-Thank you.

-Take care.

-Yeah, bye!

'Obviously it's early days.'

So she's doing really well.

And the first handover went quite well, really.

I think she did most things. She seemed quite confident with it.

Got most of the points across.

Yeah, a couple of bits that obviously needed to be picked up on

but that's, you know, she did brilliantly for the first time.

Yeah.

19-year-old Bryn

and 24-year-old Nick

are two junior paramedics starting their first placements.

-Have I brought too much stuff?

-No, no, you're fine.

Welcome!

-Ow, I just hit my head on...!

-That's not a good start.

He just knocked himself out on the carry chair!

-There you go.

-Thank you.

-Good luck. Start of your career!

Oh, dear.

Right.

'I think, on the placement, I am going to be most looking forward'

to flying around with the blue lights on.

That'll be good, I'm not going to lie!

So I want to be a paramedic

because it means I'll be the first person on the scene

and I can provide the best kind of care

that I've been trained to do... to save somebody's life.

These two very different students

are about to have two very different shifts.

Nick's got his blue lights

when faced with a man with serious breathing difficulties.

All I want you to do is concentrate on your breathing.

If there's any panicking to do, let us do it. Yeah?

And we're not...

So stay nice and calm.

Bryn's turns into routine procedure...

Is it OK if I put this in your ear? It's going to take your temperature.

..followed by routine procedure.

So, right now, what would you score the pain?

-Two.

-Two.

I'm just going to test your blood sugar,

so you'll feel tiny prick on side of finger, OK?

So it'll just be a sharp scratch, OK?

SHE GASPS

Meanwhile, for Nick, things are a bit more hectic

as he now has to deal with a drunken patient who's fitting violently.

Right. I'd sit down if I were you, cos we're going on lights.

SIREN WAILS

Back on Bryn's shift, it might be more routine procedures,

but it's all part of the job for a junior paramedic.

Really big breath for me.

SHE WHEEZES

Keep still. Sharp scratch coming up in your arm.

Nick's patient has had a cannula fitted,

so he can receive crucial medication.

And Nick gets the chance to do his first saline flush...

..in an ambulance racing along at 70mph.

How we doing?

Was that a thumbs up?

Can you remember what's happened tonight?

Thanks to Nick and his mentor Jonny,

the patient got to hospital for vital treatment.

It was a distressing kind of job to see, I was a bit...

actually a bit shaky.

I said, on my first shift...

With their first shifts under their belts,

Amy and Steph meet up with junior paramedics Nick and Bryn

to swap notes.

I think when you get the call through,

they're... They're not made out to be worse than they actually are,

but because you get such a small amount of information,

-you imagine the worst.

-You assume the worst.

-Yeah.

And it's like, "Oh, no, they're going into respiratory arrest."

You do panic a bit, don't you?

It's the anticipation of getting the job, isn't it?

Like, my heart always sinks,

I'm like, "God, what is it going to be?"

We'd just finished our meal break on the first shift at about 11,

and then... it came through on radio, because you're on meal break,

it was like, "Red 1, red 1, cardiac arrest in Corby,"

and I have never been so frightened in my life!

I was like this in the back... Like, panicking.

Corby ambulance station,

and after responding to a cardiac arrest

that turned out to be a false alarm on her first shift,

the youngest junior paramedic, Steph,

feels like she's still untested.

Since my first day, when we thought it was a cardiac arrest,

everything that comes through I'm just like, "Hm."

Cos in my brain it's like, "Oh, we're going to get there

"and they're going to be OK."

So it'll be a big shock when they're not so OK.

But today Steph's going to feel what it's like to be a real paramedic.

SIREN WAILS

So, the car's on its roof and there's people in it.

I'm a little bit scared for this one, now.

With other emergency services having already arrived,

the scene is carnage.

It looks quite nasty so grab a couple of collars.

Adult collars?

Adult collars, yeah, and a response bag.

Mentor Sam needs to quickly work out how many casualties there are.

How many patients is there?

We've three casualties for you, all with serious head injuries.

-OK.

-One down the ditch we can lift her out no problem.

-Was she thrown from the car to this position?

-Yes.

Just come round, and this is where she was found.

In the collision, the woman in the ditch

was thrown a staggering 10m from the vehicle.

That one over there is very subdued.

That one there has been talkative throughout.

Right, Rachel, please can you go and see to that one?

Steph, stay with me.

The priority is the woman in the ditch.

Steph can you go grab the monitor and ops bag?

Where am I taking the monitor - to you?

-Bring the monitor here.

-Yeah.

It might be chaos all around her, but Steph needs to keep her head.

Get a 100% oxygen mask.

Right, Steph, try and get down here if you can,

bring the oxygen with you.

Every second counts.

Honestly, it's just at the top of this ditch...

Sam, make sure everything's there.

Can you hear me?

The sheer scale of the incident

means the air ambulance has been called in.

She's been thrown from car into this position.

-We haven't moved her at all.

-Yeah.

The woman in the ditch needs to get to hospital as soon as possible.

-WOMAN MOANS

-Ready to lift.

Ready, brace, lift.

With a risk of spinal injuries,

the patient needs to be secured to a rigid stretcher.

Right, down.

You're OK.

Oxygen on.

SHE MOANS

-Pardon? WOMAN:

-What happened?

-You've had a car accident.

-Ohh...

But you're all right.

The paramedic who holds the head of the patient

is in charge in incidents attended by the emergency services.

Right now, that's Steph.

Ready, brace. Lower.

As the air paramedics take over,

Steph and Sam turn their attention to a male casualty.

Steph is given a massive responsibility.

If you stay with the patient, get a handover from the fire.

-Can I have a handover, please?

-Yeah, of course.

It's an essential process,

where patient care is passed from one emergency service to another.

He's complaining of pain there, also down his right-hand side and ribs.

His right eye's a bit blurry,

we think that's cos he's got a bit of blood in his eyelash.

-Yeah.

-He was driver, he says roughly he was going at 70mph.

-OK.

-Other than that he's not mentioned any pain to us.

-We had a look round, had a feel.

-So just the right side for the ribs.

-Just the right side for the ribs, yeah.

-All right.

-Thank you very much.

-All right.

-You haven't got any allergies at all?

-No.

-No.

When the time comes to move the patient,

Steph once again finds herself in control of his neck.

-Just relax. DOCTOR:

-Just relax, we can take the weight.

It's a testing time for this rookie.

Well done.

-I can't lift my head up...

-You can't lift your head up?

I've got it for you.

-You're in control.

-Yeah.

Ready, brace, turn.

Now secure on a rigid stretcher,

the man can be taken to hospital for vital treatment...

..and Steph can take a lot away from her first big incident.

We were the first ones there -

I was really glad we were the first ones there.

Sometimes the learning is not about what YOU do,

but you get to see Sam go in

and decide who is the first priority patient,

who's going to deal with what.

You can see the paramedic is the number one person,

because they're in charge of the lives here.

She did really really well. I'm really, really pleased with her.

She got involved from the very first job.

The junior paramedics have made it to the end of their first week

of intensive 12-hour shifts.

I feel like I've done loads already,

I can't imagine how much I'll get to do over a six week period,

so it's really exciting.

It is good to finish - especially now I can get some sleep.

I really loved it, but I feel relieved for...

mainly getting sleep.

STEPH: I wanted to be thrown in the deep end, really,

it suits me best that way.

It's a bit like a buzz,

because you think, "Oh, my God, someone else's life is in my hands."

It's a frightening thought.

The big thing that I wanted to get from today, I wanted to be able to -

basically just to go out and talk to a patient was my biggest thing.

I was shaky and I was flustered, I was all over the place,

but I was quite surprised at myself,

how much my confidence grew throughout the day.

It's been a long journey to get here,

there's so many times I thought,

"I'm not going to make this. I'm not going to make this."

And I've had to try and try and try.

But no, just really glad to be here.

It feels really great to be a junior paramedic.

It was great, I just absolutely loved it.

Just the best job in the world, so far,

and I can't wait to start a career in it.

Next time...

Relax, it's OK.

The junior paramedics deal with their most testing cases yet.

-Gwen?

-Gwen?

From a woman having a heart attack...

We need to get the defibrillator pads on, cos she could go.

So, um, yeah - whew! Adrenaline.

..to getting to grips with a dislocated ankle

in sub-zero temperatures.

Ready, brace, lift.

And one student comes face to face

with every junior paramedic's worst fear.

No, he's not got a pulse. That's gone VT, hasn't it?

I've got a heavy heart now, so...