0:00:04 > 0:00:07It's one of the most beautiful, but dangerous,
0:00:07 > 0:00:08places on earth.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10My name's Helen. I'm one of the doctors.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Any pain in there? Any teeth loose or anything like that?
0:00:13 > 0:00:17And when Australians call out the flying doctor,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20they're likely to be British.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23And so is the pilot, paramedic and crewman.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25We'll see lots of sharks,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29200, 300 metres out. I think they get the idea when we go like that.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34They say they've got the bends from coming up too quickly.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37From shark attacks on surfing beaches
0:00:37 > 0:00:41to exploding barbecues in the Sydney suburbs,
0:00:41 > 0:00:46these are the Brits who can make the difference between life and death Down Under.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11James Milligan is an NHS consultant,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14working at Leeds General Infirmary.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16How's that tummy pain?
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Now, like hundreds of medics every year,
0:01:18 > 0:01:19he's swapping rainy Britain...
0:01:19 > 0:01:21- It's wet.- It is wet.
0:01:21 > 0:01:22..for a life in the sun.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24We're living right by the ocean.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Beautiful spot. Work's nice and relaxed.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30The atmosphere's great. Life probably couldn't be much better.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35But it's a place where the nearest hospital could be 200 miles away
0:01:35 > 0:01:37and the wildlife can kill you.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Are you ready? Can I listen to your heart?
0:01:41 > 0:01:45Welcome to one of the world's most extreme health services.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52Today, a holiday crash means a tricky landing for the rescue helicopter's British pilot.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55We'll keep an eye on that...
0:01:56 > 0:01:59A gas explosion leaves a chef with a badly burned face.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Went to relight it, and a big bubble of gas... He'll be going to intensive care now.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07And a factory worker has a serious head injury.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11- Do you know what day it is today? - Tuesday.- Tuesday? It's Monday.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18As Britain freezes in December,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21the Australian summer is just getting underway.
0:02:22 > 0:02:28With weather like this, it's not surprising that 90% of Aussies holiday in their own country.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34At this time of year, the Pacific Highway is one of Australia's busiest roads.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39It runs right down the east coast, from Brisbane to Newcastle in New South Wales
0:02:39 > 0:02:41and then on to Sydney.
0:02:41 > 0:02:47Not surprisingly, it keeps the medics and air crew of the Rescue Helicopter Service pretty busy.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Today the team, which is sponsored by local businesses as well as a major Australian bank,
0:02:54 > 0:02:59has been called to an accident 60 miles northeast of their base in Newcastle.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Control, we're airborne.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07ETA 12:30.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11A caravan has overturned right in the middle of holiday traffic
0:03:11 > 0:03:14and it's feared someone may be trapped.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17OK, we didn't get much detail. It's just the old four-wheel drive
0:03:17 > 0:03:21towing a caravan. Did you get a bit more on what was going on?
0:03:21 > 0:03:27All we had was somebody hit a caravan
0:03:27 > 0:03:29- and it tipped over.- Right.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33And the lady may have been trapped under the car.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37British pilot Kevin Ratcliffe has been working in Australia for ten years.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40He doesn't know exactly where the caravan is,
0:03:40 > 0:03:44and he's still trying to find out if any land ambulances have made it through.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48I've just asked for a scene update. There's no-one on scene yet.
0:03:48 > 0:03:54Right, cos we were given two vehicles on the way. That's what I was given - 336 and 352.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00If you can talk to the plods and ask whether they can tell us how far out of Bulahdelah they are,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03and, you know, effectively confirming it's on the Highway.
0:04:03 > 0:04:04That'll put us in the right place.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06I used to fly in the Royal Navy.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09I came out here without really an intention of getting back
0:04:09 > 0:04:11into flying, because I'd been out of it for nine years.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16Poor visibility and low cloud is typically what you might have to deal with in the UK,
0:04:16 > 0:04:20and surprisingly enough, we still have the very same things out here.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22The tall trees at the edge of the road
0:04:22 > 0:04:25will make this a difficult landing for Kevin.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29OK.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Can you see the scene that I'm looking at?
0:04:32 > 0:04:37The police have got it cordoned off and we've got that area with the pull-up point.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41..Under the bushes. We'll keep an eye on that.
0:04:41 > 0:04:42Coming forward, 20.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45And hold height, hold height.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Two foot off the deck.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50They're happy, and you're clear now, guys.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58It's surprisingly easy to lose control of a big caravan.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02If it starts to sway, the driver will often brake too hard
0:05:02 > 0:05:04and it ends up like this.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- Hello there.- 61-year-old Robyn...
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Somehow they lifted the car up on its side, just enough to...
0:05:11 > 0:05:16Just a simple flip over, although that's big enough for you.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18I'm not sure how many times it flipped over.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20And your first name?
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Robyn? I'm John. Sounds like you've got a significant laceration on your head there.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29We'll probably fly you down to the John Hunter Hospital, just because of what you've been through.
0:05:29 > 0:05:30We're on the main Pacific Highway
0:05:30 > 0:05:34north of Newcastle up to Brisbane.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38About an hour and a half north of Newcastle.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45Retired farmers Robyn and Barry Knight were attempting a 1,200-mile journey right across Australia.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49from their home in Campsie to the Barossa wine valley near Adelaide.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54They'd only travelled 120 miles
0:05:54 > 0:05:56before the caravan tipped.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58It's put an end to their trip to visit their daughter.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Take a deep breath again.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03You chest feels all right there? No pain?
0:06:04 > 0:06:08They've done a lot of work in the past five to ten years to make it all dual carriageway,
0:06:08 > 0:06:09or mostly dual carriageway,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13but as you can see from today's event, it's still a bit of a hazardous place.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Thankfully, at least you don't get so many head-ons,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18because it's a divided road.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21But in terms of our job,
0:06:21 > 0:06:26as you can see, looking round at the countryside, quite often the road is cut through some interesting gullies.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29So from an approach and departure point of view, it's quite hard work.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32The gentleman's got some very minor neck injuries.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36However, his wife's got some serious injuries,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38chest and leg injuries.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40We don't think they're life-threatening,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43but they both need to be transferred to the John Hunter Hospital,
0:06:43 > 0:06:45which is the major trauma hospital in this area,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48so we're going to take them both down in the chopper,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51and it's an hour-and-a-half drive versus a 15-minute flight.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Little bit more on that side, mate...
0:06:54 > 0:06:58- Before the log roll?- I think we'll have that one side to put him on.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03The couple's other daughter is a nurse at the hospital they're being flown to.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05We're taking you down the John Hunter Hospital.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08- Okey-dokey. Have you spoken to her at all?- Yes, we have.
0:07:08 > 0:07:15- She's not a panicker?- No.- Cos at this stage, there's no need to. Lovely. Too easy.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19Pilot Kevin now has a tricky takeoff ahead of him,
0:07:19 > 0:07:24so he and the team can get Robyn to hospital for urgent brain scans.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30If you fall seriously ill in or around Sydney
0:07:30 > 0:07:32and need to be flown to hospital,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35then you'll probably be rescued by and Ambulance Service helicopter.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41And if that's the case, the chances are the doctor on board will be British.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46We'll go and get together, and we'll probably be about 10 minutes.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50Doctor James Gibson trained as an anaesthetist in Liverpool,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53but for six months, he worked for the Air Ambulance in Glasgow.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57From being a very small child going to the beach in Northumberland with my parents,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59we always used to see the helicopters flying past
0:07:59 > 0:08:03and always used to look at them a bit wistfully and think, "I'd love to do that."
0:08:03 > 0:08:06INDISTINCT MESSAGE OVER RADIO
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Glasgow is the base
0:08:11 > 0:08:14for the Emergency Medical Retrieval Service,
0:08:14 > 0:08:16which covers all of remote and rural Scotland,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19from the tip of Shetland right down to Stranraer in the south,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22so you're covering an area which is equivalent to flying from Liverpool to Paris.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27So it's a huge area. That being said, it's about a tenth of the size of New South Wales.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32'..rescue helicopter from Sydney, for a patient pick-up.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34'You have a trolley for arrival...'
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Because of the vast distances involved,
0:08:37 > 0:08:43the air ambulance teams in Australia are often needed to transfer patients from hospital to hospital.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45And that's what's happened today.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52A restaurant chef with severe burns needs to be flown to a specialist centre.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58He was involved in a gas explosion.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00He went to relight it, and a big bubble of gas
0:09:00 > 0:09:03surrounded him and caught fire, so it's effectively flash burns.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Isolated just to his face, so causing an awful lot of pain
0:09:07 > 0:09:09and also maybe some damage to his eyes.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Alex Zhao was lighting the boiler at his family's Chinese restaurant
0:09:18 > 0:09:19when it blew up.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22One of his sons was with him when it happened.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24When he light up the gas,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27it all come...
0:09:27 > 0:09:29on his face.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31And just some oxygen...
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Alex has been anaesthetised, ready for his trip to the helicopter.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37OK, so on three again.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41So, feet first over, then a bit southwards as we get over. On three.
0:09:41 > 0:09:42One, two, three.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45If you get blisters around your lips, your tongue, your airway,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49you can go from a state where somebody is just complaining of pain
0:09:49 > 0:09:53to where they can't talk, to where they're having difficulty breathing.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55If it gets to that stage, then trying to rescue them
0:09:55 > 0:09:57from that situation can be fraught with danger.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03It's always distressing for families to see a close relative in this state.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06We're going to take very good care of him.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16It's 90 miles to the specialist burns unit at Concord Hospital in Sydney.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18It would take at least two hours by road,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21but the chopper can get there in less than 30 minutes.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26After time goes on, after 12, 24 hours, and the blistering starts to appear
0:10:26 > 0:10:28and the swelling comes,
0:10:28 > 0:10:32people can really lose their facial features. Their faces can swell up like a big, puffy balloon.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37And relatives find it very difficult to recognise their loved ones in those cases.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48Down at Shoalhaven Hospital, they put him off to sleep with an anaesthetic. They've intubated him,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52kept him ventilated. Obviously, this is very painful with all the swelling.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55So we're keeping him asleep with the drug lorazepam
0:10:55 > 0:10:58and he's getting a lot of morphine as well, for pain relief.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Alex is the head chef at the family restaurant
0:11:01 > 0:11:04and the business depends on him making a rapid recovery.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21HE SPEAKS CHINESE LANGUAGE
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Looking at Alex now, it's hard to believe that two weeks ago
0:11:26 > 0:11:29he was rushed to a specialist burns unit for treatment.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33He was at the back of the restaurant, lighting the hot water system.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37It was windy the day before, so it probably blew the pilot light out.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41And he was holding onto the button, trying to light the flame,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43and the pilot light wouldn't light,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45so he thought it was maybe a gas problem.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48So he left it for a bit, then he tried it again
0:11:48 > 0:11:50and there must have been a gas build-up
0:11:50 > 0:11:52and it exploded in his face.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54His actual hair caught on fire.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56And he used his... Luckily, he had a cotton shirt on,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59and he put it over his head
0:11:59 > 0:12:00to put the flames out.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02My dad's a great chef.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06THEY SPEAK IN CHINESE LANGUAGE
0:12:13 > 0:12:15He says he's really good with his Chinese dishes,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17even the more traditional ones,
0:12:17 > 0:12:22but the Australian dish, he learns quick, and he's not too bad at it.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Alex can't wait to get back in the kitchen,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28although he says he's missed going fishing much more than working.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36400 miles southwest of Sydney,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39right on the border of New South Wales and Victoria,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41lies the town of Tocumwal.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46It's a three-hour drive from here to the nearest major trauma hospital,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49but that's not unusual in rural Australia.
0:12:51 > 0:12:56Communities like this rely on volunteers to support the paid emergency services.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01You're the first people on scene. How are you going to deal with the situation?
0:13:01 > 0:13:04You're talking about the initial medical assessment.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09Today, doctor James Milligan from Yorkshire is running a trauma first aid course.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12So you start with the things that are going to kill them quickest
0:13:12 > 0:13:14and then you move through it.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16We're teaching a trauma course to volunteers,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19who are often the guys who are first on scene
0:13:19 > 0:13:20to some fairly major accidents out here.
0:13:20 > 0:13:25Probably the airway is going to kill him first. If you're on your own and someone has a mouthful of vomit,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28and they've been in an accident, you have to get them on their side.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Australia's a pretty big place.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33They've got big areas and very large rural areas.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35They haven't got the density to have full service
0:13:35 > 0:13:39fire and rescue people working in all these rural communities,
0:13:39 > 0:13:44and they're very reliant on volunteers to offer that service that we get used to in the UK.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Unlike the metro areas, where they've got the paid firies, the paid rescue...
0:13:48 > 0:13:52all the paid ambos, the volunteers fill the gap
0:13:52 > 0:13:54for the country people.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Just bring your bum over a little bit...
0:13:57 > 0:14:01We've got two or three helicopters for the state of Victoria,
0:14:01 > 0:14:02and we're right on the border.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06They're always busy with something else, so we make do with what we've got.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10Well done. You know, we knew what we were doing...
0:14:10 > 0:14:12It was a bit better, yeah.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16If it was a real-life rescue, we'd have cut some pillars to make more room,
0:14:16 > 0:14:17so we weren't twisting his body...
0:14:17 > 0:14:23It's recognised across the world that it's important for everyone to learn basic first aid skills.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28The St John Ambulance in Australia recently launched a programme
0:14:28 > 0:14:32to teach thousands of schoolchildren what to do in a medical emergency
0:14:32 > 0:14:35and in the UK, there's been a high-profile TV campaign.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39The first aid that gets taught in Australia will be the same first aid
0:14:39 > 0:14:41that gets taught in the UK.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45It's never very complicated. It's normally fairly straightforward things
0:14:45 > 0:14:47that anyone can learn in a few hours,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49which potentially could save somebody's life in the future.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54Back at his day job with the CareFlight helicopter in Sydney,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56doctor James is on his way to a factory
0:14:56 > 0:14:58where first aid given immediately by colleagues
0:14:58 > 0:15:01may well have saved a man's life.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02For now.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13It's very similar to some of the work particularly on the Yorkshire ambulances.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16There's a lot of pressure there to get airborne quickly.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Here, it's slightly easier, because the type of aircraft they're using starts up a bit quicker.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23The distance from the hangar to the helicopter is a bit shorter.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27Little things like that just make seconds of difference, but all those seconds add up
0:15:27 > 0:15:30and make it that little bit slicker.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34The plan is to get airborne quickly and get the patient out there sooner.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Jason Dalton has a serious head injury,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39but no-one's quite sure how he fell.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42One guy just heard a big bang and saw him on the ground.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Whether he's fainted or had a fit, we're not quite sure at this stage.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50Colleagues used their first aid training to check Jason was breathing
0:15:50 > 0:15:54before calling 000, the Aussie equivalent of 999.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Landing site down here...
0:15:58 > 0:16:02INDISTINCT RADIO MESSAGES
0:16:06 > 0:16:09The Sydney CareFlight helicopter is always called in
0:16:09 > 0:16:12when the patient has a head injury or has lost consciousness,
0:16:12 > 0:16:16because there's a specialist doctor on board, like James, who can assess them.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Hey.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21This is Jason. Now, Jason's approximately 40 years old...
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Jason can't remember anything about his collapse,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26which is a big concern.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Colleagues say he wasn't doing strenuous work.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36He only started back at work today, and he would have been fitting up the guards or lights on the truck.
0:16:36 > 0:16:37That's all he was doing today.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42He'll run through things, making new frames, ready for the company to open back up.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45- So you can't remember anything about what happened?- No.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47No? Where's it hurting you right now?
0:16:47 > 0:16:49It's not.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52- It's not hurting you now?- No.- Fine. OK, do you know where you are?
0:16:52 > 0:16:54- I'm at work.- You're at work.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Do you know what day it is today?
0:17:00 > 0:17:02- Tuesday?- Tuesday.
0:17:02 > 0:17:03It's Monday. Monday.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06And what were you doing this morning? Can you remember?
0:17:06 > 0:17:07- No.- No?
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Anyone who is confused with a bang on the head,
0:17:12 > 0:17:16we obviously start being worried about whether they've got some bleeding within the brain
0:17:16 > 0:17:18or an injury to the brain itself.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20That's high on our list of concerns.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24It's very hard for us to do anything about that in the field,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26so obviously, we need to get him into hospital fairly sharpish
0:17:26 > 0:17:29so we can try and diagnose exactly what's going on.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32I'll have a quick look, then we'll get the board in and get him on it.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Did you have anything to eat at lunchtime?
0:17:34 > 0:17:36- Don't know.- Fair enough.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38How's your neck feel?
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Is it all right?
0:17:40 > 0:17:41Any pain down here?
0:17:41 > 0:17:44No? How about down here?
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Good man. Feel me doing that?
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Can you feel that?
0:17:48 > 0:17:51It's all right, mate, just having a little tickle.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56You all right, mate? We'll just put you onto this board.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58One, two, three...
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Generally, if the transfer's going to be more 15 to 20 minutes,
0:18:04 > 0:18:08then we'll use the helicopter. If it's going to be shorter, we can use the road ambulance.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12If we do use the road ambulance, we have the advantage of being able
0:18:12 > 0:18:15to do more practical procedures within the back of the ambulance.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18The back of a helicopter is fairly restricted for that.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20How are you doing?
0:18:22 > 0:18:24You all right?
0:18:24 > 0:18:26We're just going to do a quick trace of your heart in a sec.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31Just to check how that's going, in case there's something going on that's made you collapse.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Because doctor James and paramedic Ben are travelling with the patient,
0:18:36 > 0:18:41the land paramedic has to fly to hospital in the CareFlight helicopter.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48It looks like she'll probably be applying for a job on the air ambulance very soon.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Three weeks after his mysterious collapse,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Jason Dalton is back at work.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04I just heard a crack on the ground, which was when my head hit the ground,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07which was me fracturing my skull, pretty much.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Um, then I was just lying down there.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12A couple of the boys ran to grab some rags,
0:19:12 > 0:19:13which was Mark and Dino,
0:19:13 > 0:19:17to hold my head together while the ambulance came.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21It was a pretty big impact.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23There was probably about two litres of blood.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26So, yeah, it was pretty, uh...
0:19:26 > 0:19:28yeah, pretty hard.
0:19:28 > 0:19:29Jason has English roots,
0:19:29 > 0:19:33so he was quite pleased to be treated by doctor James.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35So you felt absolutely fine this morning?
0:19:35 > 0:19:40I think it's absolutely fantastic. I think they should bring more English people in here.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Not Pommies, more English people in here!
0:19:43 > 0:19:44The old man's from Watford.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47It's not clear exactly why Jason collapsed.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51Doctors think it may have been because he was very dehydrated.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00In Newcastle, 100 miles up the road from Sydney,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02a couple whose caravan tipped over on the Pacific Highway
0:20:02 > 0:20:04are being taken to hospital
0:20:04 > 0:20:06by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter team.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15It's a difficult takeoff for British pilot Kevin Ratcliffe,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17who has to negotiate tall trees.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Come up on the left - I think that's a nice way out of this valley.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28With two casualties on board the aircraft and temperatures pushing 40 degrees,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30it's a bit hot and sweaty in the back.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37We have a large laceration to the top of the head.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39I haven't really examined the extent of it.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42We'll be landing on the pad at time 13:22.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47Barry Knight, who was driving the car, has only suffered cuts and bruises.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Paramedics are much more concerned about his wife Robyn,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55who hit her head hard during the impact.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Although scans reveal she didn't have any bleeding in her brain,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03she did have to stay in hospital for several days.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Nine days ago when Barry and Robyn set out along the Pacific Highway,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17they were so excited about their epic road trip.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21Probably take a week to come home,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24so do it at a nice leisurely pace.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27They'd planned to drive their caravan 1,200 miles
0:21:27 > 0:21:32right across Australia to their daughter's home in the Barossa wine valley, near Adelaide.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37Their journey was cut short when their caravan tipped over.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41I've got a laceration to my scalp.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43It's about 11cm long,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46from the hairline back to the crown.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49I've got 23 staples, so they had to
0:21:49 > 0:21:54shave the hair away to do that and clean the wound
0:21:54 > 0:21:55and irrigate it all,
0:21:55 > 0:21:57and whatever.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59The car travelling behind us,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03the driver was a nurse, and she was kind of the first person.
0:22:03 > 0:22:04She said, "You're OK."
0:22:04 > 0:22:06And then a doctor came
0:22:06 > 0:22:10and he said, "I can do what I can, but I'm a gynaecologist,"
0:22:10 > 0:22:11so that was fun!
0:22:11 > 0:22:13And then another doctor came along
0:22:13 > 0:22:16and he was a plastic surgeon,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19and then there was a third doctor and he was a GP, so...
0:22:19 > 0:22:23They were all really good, and I think there were four nurses there as well,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25four RNs as well,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28so these were just people travelling on the Highway.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30So we're very fortunate.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32And you're clear, guys.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37They were such a team, you know.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Everyone seemed to know what everyone was supposed to do
0:22:40 > 0:22:41and it was just real teamwork.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48The following day, Robyn had the staples in her scalp removed.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52She and Barry say they'll attempt to visit their daughter again in a couple of months' time.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06When you ask British doctors why they've chosen to work on the air ambulance in Australia,
0:23:06 > 0:23:10for some, like Nick Roberts, the answer is simple.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13I was surfing in England. I used to surf in the North Sea
0:23:13 > 0:23:16up near Newcastle and Northumberland
0:23:16 > 0:23:18and I always thought it'd be nice to come and surf in warm water
0:23:18 > 0:23:21in Australia, so that was certainly a lifestyle aspect
0:23:21 > 0:23:25which I was interested to enjoy, the beach lifestyle over here.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27I've been here five years now.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29I started my specialist training over here.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32So I'm actually planning to stay long-term, probably for ever.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Today, doctor Nick and the team are heading down the coast, south of Sydney.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39They've been called out to a 12-year-old girl
0:23:39 > 0:23:42who's had an accident on a ride at the Jamberoo theme park.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47We've come out to Shellharbour,
0:23:47 > 0:23:49which is just south of Wollongong,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52about 80km south of Sydney.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56A young 12-year-old girl's been involved in some sort of go-kart
0:23:56 > 0:23:59or ride-on vehicle incident,
0:23:59 > 0:24:00and she's got some facial injuries
0:24:00 > 0:24:02and possible abdominal injuries,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05so we'll move her to a specialist paediatric trauma hospital.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11My daughter was at Jamberoo and she was on a toboggan.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14The person in front stopped.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17She was in the middle, so she hit the person in front
0:24:17 > 0:24:20and the person from behind came and hit her as well.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23She's fractured her cheekbone here
0:24:23 > 0:24:27and we're waiting to hear if there's any bleeding of the spleen.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30It'll all look good when the swelling goes down.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32- Yeah?- Yeah, you'll be fine.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36..While we stick on something...
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Well, Shellharbour's only a small little hospital.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41They don't have any paediatric surgeons here,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43so I guess the concern is that
0:24:43 > 0:24:46if she was to need any specialist paediatric surgery, she'll be in the right place
0:24:46 > 0:24:48up at Westmead.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52It's quite a long drive, so they've decided to use a helicopter to get her up there.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54All right. You happy?
0:24:57 > 0:24:59I'll go the other side.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- Better than the motorway anyway, mate.- It is. It's loads better.
0:25:04 > 0:25:05Breanna seems to be OK,
0:25:05 > 0:25:08but doctor Nick is concerned that because she can't remember what happened,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11she might have bleeding on the brain
0:25:11 > 0:25:13or a fractured skull.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18The danger with head injuries is they can be life-threatening very quickly
0:25:18 > 0:25:23and there's this concern with head injuries of what we call a "lucid period"
0:25:23 > 0:25:28which is where someone can appear fine but actually they have quite a serious bleed on the brain evolving.
0:25:28 > 0:25:34For this reason, we like to, at minimum, closely observe a head injury in a hospital,
0:25:34 > 0:25:40looking for decreasing levels of consciousness or developing neurological findings.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43I've been on one of those in Queenstown in New Zealand.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47- It's the only time I've been on one of them. Good fun, though.- Yeah.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50One of the reasons doctor Nick stays in Australia
0:25:50 > 0:25:54is he can work half the time with patients like Breanna on the air ambulance,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56and the other half in hospitals.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59But he's conscious the NHS is losing out.
0:26:00 > 0:26:01That is a problem,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03and an expensive problem as well.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08I mean, to think that I went through schooling in England,
0:26:08 > 0:26:12university in England, and ultimately ended up providing
0:26:12 > 0:26:16three years of service to the public service.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20That's a problem for the NHS, and I feel bad about that, in a way.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24I would have liked to have been able to work for them for a bit more.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29And certainly, if there was more flexibility, I think more people would return.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31One, two, three.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37But the politics of medical care aren't a concern for 12-year-old Breanna.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40All she wants to know is whether her broken cheekbone
0:26:40 > 0:26:43will mean she can't pursue her life's ambition.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53After lots of tests and a night in hospital,
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Breanna is allowed to go home.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58She still can't remember much about her accident.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03I just like going on the rides.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05I went on the Python,
0:27:05 > 0:27:06the Funnel Web
0:27:06 > 0:27:09and the Long Slide.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11We think her face has hit the brake.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14And with the second hit, she's been thrown off,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17and that's when she's got the concussion and the head injury.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19I was really excited
0:27:19 > 0:27:22once they told me I was going in a helicopter.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Then when they said that
0:27:25 > 0:27:28I get to look out, then we're just over the top of water.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Pretty cool!
0:27:31 > 0:27:32Breanna's bump on her toboggan
0:27:32 > 0:27:35left her with a fractured nose, a fractured eye socket
0:27:35 > 0:27:37and a fractured cheekbone.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39These are painful injuries,
0:27:39 > 0:27:43but Breanna was more concerned about them stopping her doing the thing she loves.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47I do contortion, ballet,
0:27:47 > 0:27:48modern...
0:27:48 > 0:27:51jazz, hip-hop...
0:27:51 > 0:27:53I want to become a famous dancer.
0:27:53 > 0:27:59When I found out I had a fractured face, I was really scared once I found out that.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01I just thought of my dancing.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04It was like, "Oh, no, what am I going to do?"
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Because she's a dancer, she does a lot of shows and...
0:28:10 > 0:28:12She's a show pony!
0:28:12 > 0:28:14That's just what she wants to do.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Seeing her face like that was awful.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Just awful. Terrible seeing that.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24But Breanna has been assured by doctors
0:28:24 > 0:28:28that in a couple of weeks, not only will she be dancing again,
0:28:28 > 0:28:33but when the weather clears up, she'll be able to join her friends on many more holiday outings.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd