Episode 3 Junior Paramedics

This programme contains some strong language

and some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting.

'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 another pulse check before we move him.

It's a scenario that can test the most experienced paramedic.

But what if you're a first-year student and you are new 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 you go to a serious job like a cardiac arrest,

I will have to get involved.

You are doing something that means something

and it's making a difference.

Flying around with blue lights on, that would 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'm not a morning person at all.

All of the paramedics I've spoken to say there will be one thing

when you get there, you don't know why,

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 I come to.

Being a paramedic is definitely my dream.

It's something I've always wanted.

Studying for a degree in paramedic science is tough.

Failure isn't an option.

Six weeks of dealing with real people in real emergencies

is even tougher.

I've got 12 hours to go and I'm yawning all the time

and shattered already.

Ready to go to bed now.

Working long hours under immense pressure takes its toll.

-What time do you call this, then?

-I didn't get out of bed.

They are young,

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

I was like...urgh! Adrenaline.

For these student paramedics, it's make or break on the emergency front-line.

Do you know how to open this? Stop! SHE LAUGHS

Previously on Junior Paramedics...

I'll let you lead this one. See how you go.

Having completed two weeks of placements, the tough reality

of the job was starting to sink in.

Have you got your key in there? Can you pass it to me?

Vic's quick thinking helped save the life of a man having

a seizure.

Crew required, please. We're with you.

By using her initiative getting us into the flat,

that was the difference between us managing his seizure,

to him doing that without us, and potentially could have had life-changing effects for him.

Police!

The physical and emotional strain was starting to show for Ashley.

Why am I doing this?

This is potentially my life.

Bryn got to grips with a serious ankle injury

in rapidly dropping temperatures.

Ready, brace, lift.

Stand clear!

And Lucy became the first junior paramedic

to deal with the death of a patient.

I think we're just going to stop.

You do feel something and I'm just really sad

and I've got a heavy heart now.

The junior paramedics are now halfway through their placements.

And the long hours and erratic shift patterns

are beginning to take their toll.

I'm too tired to talk.

I feel shattered.

I'm absolutely shattered to the point where I'm just

dragging my feet along now, I'm that tired.

It gets to you halfway through about 3am - you feel it then.

I got to a certain point last Saturday

and I was like, "I can't do this" and in the car I was keeping myself awake.

Morning! Yay!

Spending all their waking hours on the job, or studying, means

achieving a work/life balance is becoming increasingly difficult.

The lifestyle is definitely hectic.

All I seem to do is sleep and go on placement

and make my dinner, sleep and go on placement.

And for those who live in university halls,

the novelty is beginning to wear off.

Sometimes you just get to the point where you could punch someone

because you're that tired and hungry and you just want to go to bed

and they've got music on.

Turn your fucking shitty music off!

I've had to buy myself ear plugs.

I've never used ear plugs before.

ALARM BEEPS

For usually-pretty-boy Max, getting out of bed in the morning

is proving to be the most difficult task of the day.

I'm not really a morning person. I hate mornings. I really do.

I despise mornings. I want to stay in bed.

I like my bed too much!

Today, he's on a dreaded early,

and his first patient is a man known to paramedics.

This time he's called an ambulance

because he's suffering from breathing difficulties.

It's come up on the screen that he's got asthma and he can't breathe.

But it's not the man's symptoms that are making Max jumpy.

Last time we heard he was... He went into the Royal

and got fleas everywhere, basically.

They had to give it a deep clean.

I don't want fleas.

The thought of coming into contact with blood-sucking parasites

has done nothing to lighten Max's mood.

It's just disgusting, isn't it?

I can deal with...bodily fluids

because that can easily be cleaned up.

But fleas is just...

When paramedics need protection, they wear specially designed suits.

Max's mentor has decided it's time to get the outfits out.

But even a special protective suit isn't enough for the flea-fearing fresher.

Feel like I'm in Breaking Bad!

These are just sleeve protectors.

You usually put them on for blood and stuff

but I'm just using them as extra protection

against getting fleas.

If I get fleas, I'll be severely pissed off.

I just think it's really gross.

Suited and booted, he's ready to go.

While Max is usually happy to get stuck in, this time he's

standing back and letting mentor Chris treat the patient.

Just do your temperature.

I would usually do the observations,

but Chris offered to take the lead and...

Yeah, I wasn't going to say that I would

because I didn't really want to.

It was sad seeing him living in there.

He just didn't look after himself.

As the man's troubled mental state becomes apparent,

both Chris and Max begin to suspect that his physical complaint

isn't as bad as he's making out.

He's forcing his breathing to make it sound worse than what it actually is.

Even so, paramedics must learn to put their opinions to one side

and treat the symptoms the patient has presented them with.

We have a duty of care for every patient

and our role is to treat them.

He did need treating because he had asthma

and problems with his asthma, but there's more that needed

to be done which we couldn't do because

that's not our role.

He needed some support from somewhere else to get himself

cleaned up and stuff like that.

So, no fleas.

But even though the suits weren't necessary,

keeping kit sterile is always top of a paramedic's check list.

Obviously, we clean the equipment after every job

but even more important, after you've been into someone like that,

that you give it a really good clean.

As the patient is left in the hands of his GP, Max is

realising that not every case is black and white.

He's obviously got some mental health issues.

He doesn't look like he's able to look after himself.

But at the end of the day, you're just there to help people.

You can't really be that judgmental.

You can't pick and choose who you treat, can you?

You can't go to the nice, pink, fluffy ones.

No, you can't sit outside his address and say, "Actually,

"I don't want to go in there, I'll let someone else do it."

Or, "You've got fleas." You have to treat them.

He's like the same age as my dad, so it kind of makes me lucky

I've got the stability and that.

In Northampton, Vicki's up and at 'em, and ready for a shift.

Personally, I feel that I've definitely grown in confidence

and I've done it better than I thought I would.

I thought it'd take me a little bit longer.

I know I've got a long way to go but I feel like I've got a good base.

Vicki's faith in her own ability may have soared.

But in her eyes, she's still got a lot to live up to.

Yeah, I do see paramedics as every day heroes,

but it's more like making a slight difference

to someone's life as much as it is making a massive difference.

I play football, so that's my hobby.

I've met a lot of friends through there.

And I met my partner playing football.

We still play for the same team.

She's been trying four years to get on to this course.

It means the world to her.

She absolutely is going to follow the dream.

My nan is always there for me.

I think she thinks I'm already a qualified doctor or something!

I'm just, "Nana, I don't know that much!"

She's got a good personality.

She can be nasty if she wants.

-No, I can't!

-You can.

No, I can be firm with you cos you're probably going to hurt

yourself or something. There, so it's not nasty.

-Firm. Right, then. I'll put that right.

-Correct that one.

-Firm.

Yeah, I can come across shy, um...

particularly if I'm not comfortable with something.

I have started to think to myself, "What have I got to lose?"

So just go for it and build my confidence that way.

When I'm comfortable with something and I know I've got

the knowledge to back it up, I can put my foot down.

On shift in Leicester, Vicki's hard at work.

Like every day, she'll be assessed by her mentor

and her overall placement mark will decide

whether she can move on to the next stage of her training.

Right now, she's on her way to an elderly patient.

RADIO: '91-year-old male, dizzy, chest pains

'is what you're going to.'

Say, "Yes, thank you. Received."

OK, thank you. Received.

Today, she's learning the ropes from experienced paramedic Dips.

And he's putting his new starter in charge of finding out what's wrong.

If you start your questioning on this one

and I'll start popping the leads on his chest.

Asking the right questions to work out a diagnosis is

a skill that every junior paramedic must master.

The next big challenge is to kind of take

a step forward and start all the initial questioning

and assessing the patient and everything.

What seems to have happened? Why've you rang?

I ache everywhere, all across the shoulders.

In...in...in the chest.

When did this come on?

Last... In the last 24 hours.

Is there a point where it hurts the most?

It hurts the most if I try to cough.

I wouldn't call you...

but I just couldn't stand it any longer.

As Vicki quizzes Frederick, he reveals he's been coughing

because of a recent chest infection.

The junior paramedic suspects that's the root of his problem.

Take a big, deep breath for me. In and out.

Sounds quite clear at the bottom but he's got a lot at the top.

Congested.

Like a wheeze.

Is it painful all across your chest?

Are you on any medication?

Have you got a prescription?

I'm on those things.

(Haven't got a clue what they are.)

We'll pop these on your chest and have a quick feel.

Something with an inhaler.

Frederick isn't being clear about exactly what's wrong with him.

So Vicki's using her initiative to research the medicine

he's been prescribed, in case that can offer any pointers.

I haven't a clue on 99% of the medicines,

so I need to get some revision in, really, to kind of get

the common ones that people get prescribed.

I've started to pick a few up. I just don't remember them.

That one, I had never heard of before, so I did Google it

but it's for COPD, so...

And I've still forgot what it was now.

Frederick's medication shows he's suffering from a chronic

chest complaint, which makes Vicki even more confident of her hunch.

If you've got an infection, it will hurt,

but we can't diagnose anything like that.

Let's have a look here.

But mentor Dips isn't ready to jump to a conclusion just yet.

-Is this where it's hurting?

-Yes. In that joint there.

OK. Have you had a fall?

No. Oh, yes, I did. I fell out of bed last night.

Last night?

But I only fell from the top of the bed onto the floor.

I slipped on the nylon sheet.

Chest pain, I think it's more shoulder pain.

It feels more pain across here, don't it?

We know what the cause is.

He's had a fall and it's aggravated it.

-What do you think?

-Don't know!

By focusing only on the patient's chest, Vicki's made

a rookie error and missed key clues to a correct diagnosis.

For the junior paramedic, it's an important lesson learnt.

I should have kept an open mind from the start and asked more specific

questions towards what pain he'd got, rather than judging it as a whole

kind of chest pain.

You may have possibly pulled a muscle.

We want to make sure you've not done anything worse than that, really.

I have learned from it.

You just feel a bit of a tool at the time.

With Vicki so busy with work recently,

there's not been much time for play.

But this afternoon, there's a rare chance to relax as girlfriend

Curly pays her a visit.

I always look forward to seeing her.

With the shifts I've had this week, I haven't been able to ring her,

so it will be nice to have a proper catch up

and just have my partner there with me.

-Hiya, you OK?

-Had a good week?

With Curly usually 100 miles away in Stoke, it's a

good opportunity to catch up on how Vicki's coping with her placement.

Are you finding anything really tough?

Um... I'm not finding it tough but I'm... Not struggling.

It's taking me a while to get my head around how to

approach a patient.

So, I can say hello and I'll ask the first so many questions.

And then it'll go silent cos I don't know what direction to go in next

to get the answers we want.

And as if the job wasn't hard enough,

Vicki is also finding the antisocial hours a strain.

I'm struggling to find time for football.

As much as it was fitness, it was a bit of a social, seeing all the girls.

I don't even see flatmates cos I come in at weird times.

You need to stop partying, living the university life

-and socialising!

-Yeah.

After a busy day on the ambulance,

partying is top of Max's to-do list.

I think with doing this course, because it is so full-on,

when you get the chance, it's good to let your hair down

and have a bit of fun.

Especially after you have done four shifts. It can be quite intense.

With not an ambulance or textbook in sight,

he's headed into Northampton for a night out with some mates.

Wednesday night is the rugby lads' social,

because we have a game on Wednesday,

so if we've won, everyone is happy and hyped up.

Look how handsome he is! This is my boy I love him. Mwah!

Obviously, you can't go out with rugby lads and have one drink.

It don't work like that.

You have ten.

I'm 19. I still go out and I do enjoy myself,

but I go out to enjoy myself with my friends. I don't go out

to drink so much that I don't know what I'm doing

and need a paramedic.

I know, when I get to a certain point, to stop drinking

and just enjoy the night with my friends.

Amy's also out in Northampton...

..but she's working, and tonight she's facing

her biggest fear since starting as a paramedic.

Mental health patients are probably the ones I worry about the most.

We don't get a lot of training in mental health.

And I do find, a lot of the time, when we are faced with someone

with mental health, we are trying to be a bit like a social worker.

She and mentor Shay have been called to a schizophrenic man

who's having an acute episode.

Hello. Hello.

We sort of turned up at his house and when we got in,

he turned all his lights off when we were halfway up the stairs,

and at that moment you just think, you can't see the patient,

you can just hear him sort of chanting these things

and he obviously wasn't in a very good mental state

and it was a bit of an unstable situation.

Having assessed the patient, Amy's mentor decides they'll need

a police escort to move him to hospital,

and thinks it's safer to wait in the car.

-He's about to kick off, that guy.

-Do you think?

He was definitely going to kick off.

If they're not going to talk to you,

and if they're acting like that, get out of there, that's my advice.

No-one wants to get hurt, do they?

No, I wouldn't want to put myself in a situation like that.

See, you can be all brave and macho

but then you can have your head kicked in as well.

I really genuinely did actually fear that situation,

and it makes us worried for the future,

being in a car by myself and being put into situations like that

where I'm going to be on my own. And I do think if I was on my own

in the car, I probably wouldn't have gone in that house by myself.

But tonight, Amy has her mentor with her, and as the police arrive,

she must put her fears to one side to go and help the patient.

So once again, Amy, just stay behind me.

Even though the police are there.

Inside, they find the man a little calmer.

The ambulance is here now, OK.

We'll try and get you some help. Just breathe slowly, all right?

But the experience has brought home to Amy

the realities of the darker side of the job.

It was the first situation

where I've been on this job where I genuinely shit my pants.

I was terrified on this one.

A new day in Leicester.

And as he starts his shift,

chirpy chappy Nick can't wait to get on the road.

How are you feeling this morning?

OK, quite refreshed - had a good night's sleep,

so all good to go. This is the first of an eight-hour shift

because of a recent rota change.

Yeah, so it's going to be a short day.

But whatever his shift throws at him,

it's all in a day's work for this enthusiastic paramedic.

I'm not the oldest person on the course

but I am one of the older ones.

I've not joined this course for the student experience.

I don't think you can do that.

To even get on the course, you have to be really driven.

Other people live in halls, I live at home.

-Yes, I always keep my room clean.

-I always clean up after him.

Nick was very adventurous. Always into all kinds of everything.

He used to mix his own children's chemicals up

and make different kinds of smoke bombs and all that.

Outside of uni, I do a martial art.

I run the kung fu club.

I've been doing that for about 16 years.

Kung fu might have helped in my balance. I've not fallen over yet.

There's still time!

I also have an allotment.

I think I de-stress by doing physical things as opposed

to reading a book.

I think the best thing about the job for me would be

the feel-good factor of helping people.

And making a difference.

Nick and mentor Jonny are about to make a difference

to a patient who has fallen in her kitchen.

Morning!

I hit my head but that's OK.

You got any injuries anywhere else at all?

No, it's just this leg.

She has a suspected broken hip

and needs to get to hospital straightaway.

We will have to have an X-ray.

But the first hurdle is to get her off the floor.

Right, Rosemary, if you want to roll back towards me.

So a special piece of kit is required.

Right, we'll plug you in, and blow you up.

Here we go.

Right, just sit still, Rosemary,

because if you start moving round, that's when we fall off.

Ann, can you get the chair next to us?

Right, Rosemary, have a stand up, put your weight

through your good leg and then slide across onto that chair.

Sit straight back down. There we go. How's that?

-What do you think to that?

-That's brilliant, that.

So Rosemary's up, but not quite away yet.

And as Nick carries her over the threshold,

he gets an unexpected surprise.

-Rosemary, darling...

-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!

I think she got a bit scared and tried to grab hold of something.

She tried to grab hold of my face!

She clocked me.

So, yeah, I was helpless.

I got whacked!

I didn't mean...!

Let's get you on the trolley.

Once Rosemary's safely more than punching distance away,

Nick spots that his patient shares his passion for the good life.

How many chickens you got?

-About 50.

-50? Wow!

Nick's found a kindred spirit, and once Rosemary's

in the ambulance, there's more time for chicken chat.

We used to have chickens,

but only about two or three, I think.

It's always good to have common ground actually with patients.

Because the more you talk to them,

the more they're going to feel comfortable and at ease.

The cleaning up's immense, I bet.

She was a really nice lady.

I'm sure she didn't mean to hit me round the face -

it was all in good humour.

Night-time at Corby ambulance station,

and junior paramedic Steph is nearing the end of a busy shift.

If you check the oxygen and the Entinox.

At just 18, she may be the most junior paramedic,

but on placement, she's also been one of the busiest.

I don't think I've ever had an adrenaline rush like that in my life.

She's proved she can keep her cool under pressure,

and now the teenager's about to be tested with a patient her own age.

We're going to an 18-year-old male with sickle-cell.

It's where they've got crescent-shaped blood cells

so they don't hold so much oxygen, and sometimes they go into crisis.

A sickle-cell attack is incredibly painful

and can even be fatal.

Steph and Sam will need to get the patient to hospital fast.

We're going to someone who's exactly my age,

probably leading quite a similar life.

He's 18. He's the same age as me.

It might be hard for me cos it's a relatable situation.

Not had much of a life yet, have they?

He's going to be in a lot of pain.

At the teenager's home, a paramedic is already treating him.

He has been hospitalised on many occasions in the past.

Last time, almost needing surgery.

Thought his spleen was about to burst.

I've given him 5mg of morphine to ease the pain.

Has that helped at all yet?

Despite the morphine, there's little let-up in his agony.

All that's left for Steph and Sam to do is get him to hospital.

Everyone else that the paramedics have given morphine to,

their pain will go from ten out of ten to five out of ten or whatever,

and he was just not affected by the morphine.

-OK, when you're ready, Steph.

-Ready, steady, lift.

'I thought, "Oh, God! Like, we've given the biggest pain relief

'"we can give and we can't make you feel any more comfortable."'

Get me bum round.

Ready, steady, lift.

That's it, and down.

Right, which way did we come in?

How's your pain out of ten at the moment?

About ten. OK, we'll get you over there as quickly as we can. OK?

Just going to pop this on for you.

They said they'd have a doctor in resus for us.

No, I think we've got everything, cheers.

The reason it shocked me a bit is because he's the same age as me.

I can't imagine having sickle-cell,

and being in the state he's in on regular basis. It must be horrible.

Every other 18-year-old lad would be probably quite chatty

-and he was just really quiet, weren't he?

-Yeah.

The incident marks the end of Steph's night shift.

I'm really tired and I'm ready to go to bed now.

And as she heads off for some much-needed sleep,

back at halls, Lucy Wright's day is just beginning.

But it's 5:00am, and she's not a happy paramedic.

I've had an hour's sleep today, because people insist

on being idiots at uni and keeping me awake all night.

I didn't get to sleep till about two.

People were noisy, going out,

and then people came back and decided to watch a film really loud.

She might be exhausted, but at least she's on her way to work...

..unlike Max who should also be on an early,

but is nowhere to be seen.

It's nearly six o'clock.

We're on a 5:30am shift. Max is running late.

We're just ringing him to see where Max is.

VOICE MAIL: I'm sorry but the person you've called is not available.

PHONE RINGS

I'm sorry but the person you've called is not available.

Hi, Max, it's Chris. Obviously you're late in.

Can you ring us if you get chance?

If junior paramedics miss jobs, there's a lot at stake.

They're constantly being assessed towards their final degree mark.

Being late is not tolerated and could lead to a fail.

If we get a decent job, it's going to be a real shame, really,

because once we're out, it is really difficult to come back.

MACHINE BEEPS

The screen bleeps and we've got a job

so we're going to have to go.

SIREN SOUNDS

Could have done with Max, really. The more hands the better.

Right, I'm going to have to put this in your ear.

Although Lucy's had very little sleep, she's putting a brave face

on things with her patients.

Do you think Lucy's done a good job today? Has she?

Do you think she's going to make a good paramedic?

Hey, look at that!

She's been hard at it for an hour and-a-half

when Max finally arrives for work.

But he's now stranded at the station

until mentor Chris gets a window to meet him.

I fell back to sleep when my alarm went off.

Every minute Max has to wait is valuable time

he could have spent on the job.

But the station caretaker has seen it all before.

I don't think the young ones like the early mornings

and late nights do you, Max?

I don't mind it. It just takes its toll on you.

It'll come easier the older you get, don't worry.

HE LAUGHS I'm just pissed off that I'm late.

As Lucy completes another callout, she's starting to feel

the repercussions of doing hard graft on very little sleep.

I feel really poorly. Like, really poorly.

-I'm struggling to get my breath in.

-Just relax.

Is it a migraine?

-No, I feel really sick.

-Get the sick bowl.

-Do you want a sick bowl?

-No, I don't feel sick. It's like...

Just relax. Just a couple of minutes and then we'll be there.

-For both of you.

-THEY CHUCKLE

For a sick person, an ambulance may seem the ideal place to be.

But when you're a poorly paramedic,

the patient's ailments must come first.

If this is going to happen again,

it's very difficult in the back with patients.

If you're not feeling well, you shouldn't be here.

And two, I think you need to get some sleep.

And you're not going to learn anything if you're exhausted.

I am sending Lucy home because she's not had any sleep.

So she's going to go home, get some sleep, hopefully,

and then come in fresh tomorrow and do another 12 hours with us.

I don't like quitting as such.

To be honest, I feel like I'm over-worked and I'm tired

so I need to go home and relax, sleep,

do some work and then go back with a level head to it.

At Leicester Royal, Max has finally tracked his ambulance down

with a not-too-happy Chris on board.

-Morning.

-Afternoon, Max.

-You all right?

Yeah. So, what time do you call this, then?

What's happened this morning?

-Just didn't get out of bed.

-You just didn't get out of bed.

So, as a forfeit for being late,

because you've now missed some hours,

cos you're two and-a-half hours late,

you are going to have to come in Sunday.

You're going to have to work from half-past five

till half-past one to make your hours up.

-Are you actually going to make me do that?

-Yeah.

-HE SNIGGERS

-Totally.

We need to push on with your actual assessment.

So not good that we've missed a bit this morning,

so we need to catch up.

So Max is given the chance to make up for lost time,

but he must face another early start as a result.

When Lucy arrives home, she's greeted by fellow junior Bryn,

who is showing signs of dehydration and sickness,

more commonly known as a hangover.

Your eyes are bloodshot. Was it good, then?

-You should have come out.

-No, I definitely...

-Were you doing an eight-hour shift?

-My mentor sent me home.

-Eh?

-Natalie sent me home.

-She sent you home?

-Yeah. I'm not very well.

We had a guy who was really drunk at nine o'clock in the morning

-and I thought of you.

-Cheers.

SIREN SOUNDS

Max may have been late, but he's working extra hard

to make up for it and show his mentor how serious he is.

Do you want to come in our ambulance, hey?

BABY CRIES

Once his shift is over, it's finally time to kick back in halls.

But he's still smarting from the events

that happened at the beginning of the day.

The shift didn't start well for me today because I was late.

Basically I was late cos I had, like, a night shift,

then slept, then a day shift.

But it's like you come in in the morning, don't get any sleep,

and I think lack of sleep just wore me out.

Cos it is pretty knackering and you just feel shattered.

30 miles away in Leicester, junior paramedic Vicki

and her mentor George are preparing for a shift

in the fast-response vehicle.

-Have you got enough stabbers?

-Yeah, there's enough stabbers.

-So I think we're good to go.

-OK.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Brilliant.

The car can get to urgent jobs quicker than an ambulance

but it can't transport patients to hospital.

They've been working for two hours when a woman dials 999.

As Vicky and George are despatched to the little girl,

it's flagged as a red-two call,

suggesting it's potentially life-threatening

so they must arrive within just eight minutes.

It's Vicky's most serious case yet.

If there's speed cameras, you sometimes set it off.

Oh, we did!

-Hi.

-Hello. All right?

-Tell us what's happening.

Inside, they find the three-year-old still fitting

and her mum in a distressed state.

Has she been like this the whole time?

-SHE SOBS

-Yeah, the face...

The toddler, Sydney, is incredibly hot to the touch.

George doesn't want to take any chances

so immediately calls for back-up.

Hello. Can I have a crew, please?

Can I have a crew, red response, please?

George needs to get the seizure under control,

and Vicki's assistance is vital.

Can you get me some oxygen, please?

All right. So she's been like this for how long, do you know?

-I don't know, to be honest. About 20 minutes.

-How old is she?

Three and-a-half. Four in March.

It's an intense situation and there's no room for error.

Vicki needs to be alert and ready for anything.

So this is just some diazepam, OK? All right? All right, sweetie pie.

So, we're counting, like, each flinch?

What we want is her breathing.

And we're going to check her blood sugar as well. OK?

Vicki needs to carry out some vital tests.

Do it on her toes. That's right.

But it's not the time for a delicate touch.

Give it a good squeeze on the toe.

Come here. I'll just give it a squeeze for you.

There you go. All right?

With the clock ticking and the back-up ambulance yet to arrive,

it's left to Vicky to keep little Sydney's airways clear

to make sure she keeps breathing.

That's it. We're not in a brilliant position here.

Would you just make sure her airways are OK?

So I've asked the crew for a red response,

so they should be here ASAP.

What we might do, actually, is carry her down the stairs

-so we're ready to go when they come.

-OK.

-All right.

That'll be the best thing. Just grab the cylinder for me.

Don't worry about the defib. We can come back for it.

As they move downstairs, Sydney remains unresponsive.

Even worse, her breathing is becoming shallow and irregular.

George is getting worried.

Hi, Claire. It's George. What's my ETA for the crew, please?

You know it's a red response, yeah?

There was a point where George thought the little girl

was critical and might not make it.

The treatment didn't quite work as we thought it would...

..and I think that kind of made it a little bit more stressful,

on top of the stress that was already there.

-COUGHING

-Is it nearly empty? Right. OK.

Every second feels like an hour.

Do you want to swap over? Is that the crew?

Is that the crew? Right, we need to... Are you ready?

We need to go. Brilliant, yeah. Fantastic.

She's had 2.5 diazepam. She's not making very good respiratory effort.

She was up to about 100. I've been bagging for about five minutes.

Mum and sister are going to have to have...

Hyperoxygenate for a sec for us.

Sydney is still in a fitting state and her breathing

remains a concern, but her high temperature has started to fall.

Although Vicki's making progress,

this job has reminded her how much she still has to learn.

It is the most serious thing I've seen.

Definitely would like to be able to walk into a situation like that

and take control, because that's kind of why I want to be a paramedic.

I feel miles away from achieving that at the moment.

I know I'm learning and all that,

but it's something that will obviously come with time.

Long way to go yet but, yeah, I hope she's all right.

After four days in hospital,

little Sydney is now back home with her mum.

The cause of the fit remains unknown.

It's 8:00am in Leicester.

Max is at work and, despite an early start, he's awake,

on time, and en route to his first major road accident.

It's come up on the screen as "trapped victim, multiple patients".

This is the first multi-car road traffic collision that I've been to.

I'm feeling quite apprehensive because it could be quite busy.

A car and a van have collided head on.

Other paramedics are treating the driver of the car,

but there's another casualty trapped in the van

with a suspected neck injury.

And he thinks he might have bumped his head slightly.

There's nothing obvious.

Although if you go down, he's got some c-spine tenderness.

This could be serious, so Max's mentor goes first

to do the initial observations.

You've got a bump to your head. So you hurt there, do you?

Yeah. Oh, man. Here.

-OK. Just go down your back.

-Yeah, there as well.

-Oh, man.

-You got any back pain there?

The whole thing, it's like I've been and fell down the fricking stairs.

If the patient has injured his neck and he moves it now,

the worst-case scenario is paralysis.

So getting him out of the van is going to be extremely difficult.

And there's a further complication.

His door's unable to open, so we're obviously

going to have to try and get that open somehow.

May mean cutting it open or cutting it off. I don't know.

Yeah, he's just environmentally trapped, just by that door.

So, if you can take that door off for us, that would be great.

-No worries.

-All right. Yeah.

In the meantime, it's crucial that the patient's head

stays completely still and it's not long

before Max is drafted in to take charge.

When Chris told me to take the head,

that was quite an important role, cos I was stabilising him

and making sure that he was all right in the vehicle.

Then everyone kind of worked around me.

-It's kicking in now.

-Your head or the back of your neck?

-It's, oh...

-You banged it on the windscreen or something?

-I don't know.

You know what? Flash of lightning.

Yeah, I can imagine.

Just don't move. Try not to nod and stuff like that.

-Does it feel like a throbbing pain?

-No.

It feels like it's all cutting. It feels like it's been cut.

-Do you know what I mean, like...?

-Yeah, I know what you mean.

-Tingling?

-Yeah.

-Well, you're all right. It's not been cut.

Reassuring words and a steady hand.

Max is using every trick in the paramedics' book

to keep the patient calm as fire crews begin to tear the door off.

OK, breaking glass!

You all right? You staying with us?

-I am feeling a bit tired, actually.

-Yeah? Try not to move so much, Mick.

I know it's hard but I just want to keep this head as still as possible.

'Cos it was me and him in the van, I was making sure he was all right,

'checking that he wasn't going to pass out on me or anything like that

'or suddenly just hit rock bottom.'

I feel like I can perform under pressure quite a bit,

so I thought I've got to keep calm

and kind of get the job done and then we will get him out.

There was a lot of fire engines, ambulance and police,

so it was all, like, services working together.

Mick's exit is clear.

Now for the delicate process of getting him out

without moving his spine.

That one goes under your leg.

Might be a bit uncomfortable, Mick, but we've got to get these round.

-Mine's on, Chris.

-Is yours on?

-Yeah.

Once the brace is in place, the patient can relax a little,

with some help from his right-hand man, Max.

Have you got any tape, just to strap his head on?

-I didn't realise it was that bad!

-Just the straps, mate.

PHONE RINGS

Roberto. They're just cutting me out the van so stop ringing.

'It was really good to sit and talk and he was a character in the van,'

he kept answering his phone.

He was quite happy, even though he'd just been in a car accident.

-We'll go on turn.

-Right. Ready, steady, turn.

-Try and keep still.

-PHONE RINGS

-You want to take it again?

-Are you on the phone?

They're just cutting me out of the van, darling.

The ambulance crew are just taking me away, so I can't really speak.

I'll ring you back in a bit.

With Mick finally out of the van,

his full-body examination can commence.

Max has been asked to take charge,

but having a junior in the driving seat doesn't bother the patient.

I'm not worried. I've got all the confidence in the world.

-Thank you very much.

-Feel well good, actually.

I didn't feel a thing getting out of that van.

Good. That's what we wanted.

-At least you shaved your chest, eh?

-I have done, yeah.

-Impress the ladies.

-Yeah.

Just going to feel your stomach, Mick.

Just tell me if it hurts anywhere where I'm pushing.

-Does it hurt anywhere around there?

-No.

-Anywhere there?

-Just aching that side.

The wheel came up through the bottom of the van.

-But your right side is hurting?

-Oh, me head's killing me.

Right, Mick. This is going to be uncomfortable, yeah,

but I've got to have a feel of it, all right?

-Oh, just there. Oh, argh!

-Does that hurt everywhere?

-HE GROANS Sorry, mate.

-That's it.

With the examination complete,

Mick can be taken to hospital for a scan.

Max's work here is done and he leaves behind one satisfied patient.

I'd like to shake his hand but I can't.

It's all tied up, I'm afraid.

Thank you, Max, for your efforts getting me out of van.

-That's all right, mate. Take care.

-Cheers, man.

-See you later.

'I feel really special and privileged'

obviously, because I did play a big part in that crash.

I wasn't just standing by watching everyone else do everything,

and that did fill me with joy and, like, a bit more excitement.

I was like, "Yes! this is really cool!" It was really exciting.

It's been a roller coaster week for the junior paramedics.

Life in those green uniforms might be challenging,

but it's also hugely fulfilling.

What I really love about it is being able to go into someone's house

and see a patient and make a difference to their life.

'The most rewarding thing about the job is helping people.'

I got whacked!

That's awesome, that is.

This placement has opened my eyes to what is out there in the world.

It's a bit shocking sometimes, but then it kind of makes you reflect

on what the world's like - not as a paramedic, but as a human.

But despite the demands of the job,

they're all looking forward to the rest of their placements.

As much as it is tough sometimes, getting up at four in the morning,

it's worth it.

Obviously, we're only three weeks in, so we're not used to this.

We will get used to it. Well, we'll have to.

You just sort of eat, sleep and breathe this paramedic life, really.

But this is what I want to do, so I think it's worth the sacrifice.

I want to be a paramedic more than anything.

I know that's what I want to do and now I've found something

that I know I want to do,

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

Next time...

..the juniors realise what a superstitious lot paramedics are...

It's a full moon tonight. Paramedics don't like a full moon.

I don't know whether it was a full moon or whatever it was,

but every case I went to was a mental-health case.

..Lucy gets more than she bargained for with one patient...

Do you want to get him to cover up a bit?

He's just pissed.

THEY LAUGH

..and Ashley's nerve is tested at a house fire.

In that moment, I kind of questioned everything and I just thought,

"Oh, my god. This is horrendous."

MUSIC: "Red Lights" by Tiesto

# We could just run them red lights

# We could just run them red lights

# We could just run them red lights... #