This programme contains some scenes which some viewers
may find upsetting, and some strong language.
Is she breathing?
Every minute of every day,
the Ambulance Service answers our cries for help...
..as our NHS faced a national emergency like no other.
In a year when over 11 million people dialled 999 for an ambulance,
1.4 million calls were to the North West Ambulance Service.
I think this lockdown's been the worst.
We're watching people die in front of us
and there's nothing we can do about it.
God knows where any of these patients
that are coming in now are going to go.
As the people of Merseyside experienced the worst of times...
There's no way I can leave you at home like this.
..decisions of life and death brought out the best of us.
Proud to be a Scouser!
NEWSREADER: The North West Ambulance Service has asked the army for help
as it struggles to meet the demand for 999 calls,
with surging levels of staff sickness due to coronavirus.
There's 23 confirmed Covid. One shielding. Suspected Covid is 53.
And we've 28 isolating, which is a total of 114 since Wednesday.
Our key task now, our key ask is to try and get through February,
which will undoubtedly be an extremely demanding month.
MACHINE: Three, two, one, ventilate.
Sanjay is a private in the army
and one of 120 military personnel receiving training in basic
life support, kit handling and driving ambulances.
It really is infectious.
And really, really importantly, when you arrive,
wherever you're arriving, there's a patient at the end of it
who's remarkably frightened and worried.
That didn't hurt, did it? Ha-ha, no. Good man!
I've had moments where I'm not quite sure, you know,
what we're going to do to keep serving the public.
But then I come and have moments like this is where I think...
We're going to do this.
Pull, pull, pull, pull, pull, pull, pull.
After three days of intensive training,
Sanjay and his fellow recruits will join paramedics
fighting the virus on the front line.
They'll be really proud to work alongside you,
and they'll be a little bit nervous as well.
This is not their day job.
Ambulance Service. Is the patient breathing?
They're having a fit, are they?
Don't put anything into his mouth, all right?
Alpha 641, good evening.
You've just been diverted to a Cat 1 in Wavertree.
You're right on top of this job.
Alpha 641, Jack and Deke,
are just two minutes away from this Category 1 call.
So, he's nine. Yep.
Bit young, innit? Yeah. What's the recovery...?
Febrile or something like that.
Hello, mate. My name's Deke.
I'm here to help you.
Can you open your eyes for me, mate?
What was he doing before he started shaking? Just sleeping. OK.
Did his eyes roll at all? Yeah, like this...
Like that. How long was he shaking for? Erm, one minute.
About one minute, OK. He's not normally like this, I'm guessing?
MAN: No, this is first time. First time. First time, suddenly now. OK.
I think we're going to have to go to hospital, obviously,
because he's had this episode.
He doesn't suffer with epilepsy or anything.
We don't know what's going on.
So, it's going to be a trip to Alder Hey.
Well done, good boy.
That's it, mate.
Prajeith now needs to be assessed by a paediatric
specialist at Alder Hey Hospital, two miles away.
You've woken up now, haven't you?
Cracking little smile!
Give me a high five. Good lad, good lad.
Do you remember this happening at all, mate, no?
Do you feel, like, confused?
Yeah?
What's up, mate?
Whenever he's had a fever...
Ah.
There you go.
Come on. SPLASHING
That's it, get it out, mate.
Don't be shy. Go on.
Look at that, I caught it in time, didn't I?
Yeah. I read him.
OK, mate? Swing your legs.
Hopefully the doctors will see him and they'll get some sort of plan
in place for them so it doesn't happen again.
Fingers crossed, eh? Yep.
But guess what.
I caught the kid's sick.
Did he go that greeny colour?
He went that funny colour and he's about to blow,
I was thinking in my head. And I went bang, bang.
Soon as it hit, all of it straight into the bowl.
You've got a commendation coming your way.
Hey, honestly, some people have it...
LAUGHTER
Ambulance Service.
OK.
It's Friday night and call handlers
are dealing with a new emergency call every 20 seconds.
Across all control rooms, there are currently 73 members of staff
who are absent from work due to Covid.
Any difficulty breathing or shortness of breath?
Agency workers have been recruited to boost staffing levels.
Ambulance Service. Is the patient breathing?
I'm not sure. I'm not medically trained to advise you.
No.
I arrange ambulances, like ambulance calls.
Imran received two weeks' training before becoming a call handler
during the first wave of the pandemic.
Let's hope it does.
If we could only...
Do you not think it will?
What do you think's going to happen?
Do you think?
VOICES ARRIVING
I'll leave you with them. You take care of yourself.
Well, let's hope, yeah.
It's the most calmest person who's been stabbed.
Alpha 171, Kate and Danielle, are booking on for the night shift.
Got us a bar of chocolate.
Oh, you've already started it, haven't you?
I have already started it.
Never mind "got us a bar". You've you got us half a bar of chocolate.
Yeah, not quite a full bar.
Ambulance Service. Is the patient breathing?
It's OK. Listen to me, just keep yourself calm, OK?
Unfortunately, we are very, very busy, so we are going to
get to you as quick as we can on lights and sirens.
Well, cutting your foot off is just going to make it bleed more.
171, thank you.
I've just sent you through a category two call, please.
I'd just approach with caution on this one.
He is now threatening to cut his own foot off,
threatening that if he's found dead in the house,
it's going to be the EMD's fault.
Kate and Danielle are immediately dispatched to the call in progress.
They are seven minutes away.
The ambulance is coming to you as fast as it can on lights and sirens.
Don't like the look of this.
DOGS BARKING NEARBY
Oh, dear.
What's your name, sweetheart?
John. Shall we have a little seat in there?
Let's just sit on this toilet because you're bleeding quite a lot.
I will, I will. OK?
Can I just explain something to you?
There you go. I don't want to sit in blood.
You need to sit down before you collapse, OK?
So forget about the blood.
Come on, let's just sit you down.
I can't walk, I'm not walking over there.
We'll get a load of conti sheets and we'll try and lay them down.
I'm sorry for shouting at you, like, but...
I know, but, John, we're in a position here where you need
to sit down before you collapse.
But if I sit down, I go dizzy.
We're here to help you and you're not doing as we ask, are you?
John, how about we throw this blanket on the floor
and you can walk across there
and we can take this with us and throw it in the bin?
Put that on the floor there, love. Would that help? Thank you.
That's it, come in here.
Do you want me to put one of these on the toilet?
I know I'm going to get blood everywhere. Don't you worry.
There you go, sit there.
And have you scratched your foot, have you?
It was an old scratch I done last week.
And I scratched it and I've opened the old cut.
Right, OK.
I can't even bend. Look, I'm shaking, look.
All right, sweetheart. I'm shaking.
It's all right. We'll look after you, John. Don't you worry.
Just keep your arm nice and straight for me, sweetheart.
I feel so dizzy.
John, try and stay nice and calm. Just keep your arm still for me.
Listen, let me explain to you, I'm a panicker.
I know. I know.
98 sats. Heart rate is 62.
So BP's OK. Are you still a bit dizzy and light-headed
at the minute, John? My heart's pounding.
I think your heart's pounding more because you're panicky, aren't you?
All I want to do is get to the hospital and stop it. I know.
I need to see my family.
Come on, John. We'll look after you.
Kick your feet forward for me.
Bend this leg back, John.
And the other leg.
All right, John.
No more shouting, OK?
Are you feel a bit calmer now you're in here, John?
OK, John, Kate will talk to you now. I'm going to get in the front.
Stirling Moss!
Who's that?
She's too young.
Oh, OK. You'll have to rate me out of ten when we get to the hospital.
Alpha 171.
171, thank you. I'm just after a quick update on that job
if you've got time. Over.
Yeah, roger. We've certainly got time. Wow, what can I say?
I think we're both feeling a little bit frazzled
but he did apologise and said he was a bit panicky
so we let him off in the end. Over.
Good for you. Many thanks for all your help.
Ambulance Service. Is the patient breathing?
I want to do a quick breathing assessment on her, OK?
I want you to say the word "now" every single time
she takes a breath in, starting immediately.
OK, that's not effective.
It's saying she's not breathing.
We need to start chest compressions.
Pump the chest hard and fast
at least twice per second
and two inches deep.
We are going to do this until help can take over.
So start counting out loud so I can time you, at a rate of
one, two, three, four.
One, two, three, four.
One, two, three...
Yeah.
INDISTINCT GROAN
Is that her?
Has she started breathing?
I would have never imagined myself here.
I worked for Thomas Cook for 13 years.
I was cabin crew.
I absolutely loved it.
Up until the last day, I had butterflies going to work.
Is that the crew in the room?
OK, I'm going to leave you with them. Take care now.
You're welcome. Bye.
They went into administration
and I burst into tears.
I remember walking straight into a Jobcentre in my uniform.
I knew it was over.
When I first walked into the control room,
I was made to feel so welcome.
I was never made to feel like I'm an outsider.
LINE BEEPS Ambulance. Is the patient breathing?
OK, is he awake at the moment?
Going to be a cold night, I reckon. Yep. Same here.
It was a cold day today.
641.
641, go ahead.
Yeah, we've been auto-dispatched to this Cat 1.
Do you know anything about it? Over.
No, mate, don't know anything about it.
THEY LAUGH
I'll shout you back, Deke. Stand by.
Yeah, thanks. I was just laughing my head off.
Stand by, one.
Deke just makes me laugh.
641... At the back of the Marks & Spencer in town.
25-year-old male, not conscious, ineffective breathing.
He's taken spice.
Perfect. Thank you for that. Over.
I grew up in Africa.
I came here when I was 11.
It was strange getting off the aeroplane to a cold Britain,
where I've never seen anything like this,
and then there's people speaking a different language.
It was frightening for a little kid.
I didn't like it. I wanted to go back that day!
That's probably him on the floor there.
Hello!
Had a bit of a tumble, mate? Do you want to sit in this chair?
Have a sit down in that chair for us, mate.
It's the ambulance, mate. Go on, sit down.
I'll grab this. Go on.
Come on, mate. Step up.
Lean towards me, fella.
Listen to me. What's your name?
What, what? PATIENT SPEAKS SOFTLY
Clinton?
Jim? We need you on the bed, mate. Come on, stand up.
On three. One, two, three. Up you get.
There you are. That's better.
You cold, mate?
How long you been lying on the floor?
This jacket's soaking as well, mate.
We'll take this off and we'll get a blanket on you. What have you taken?
Jim? Concentrate, mate. Have you taken something?
He's not telling us anything. Very limited information.
No signs of any head injury? Nope. No, no bruising, no nothing.
Wake up, mate. That's it. Where do you live?
Do you have a home address?
I've grew up in Somalia. There was war going on between... Tribal.
My mum, she made that decision -
"Now is the time to move, before it all kicks off."
You know where we're going, Jim? We're going to hospital.
I'm going to need your details. They're going to need it as well,
just so they can look after you till you feel a bit better.
Snoring away, are we?
In my head, I felt like, "Are my friends going to be there
"if I come back? Is this going to get bad?"
Jim! We're at hospital, mate.
No, no, stay where you are. What's your surname?
Don't fall asleep yet.
641.
641, go ahead. Yeah, just information on our last patient.
Obviously, I think he was homeless,
but it's just very sad to see the situation he was in
and end up on the floor by himself in the middle of town.
Yeah, I wouldn't like to be out in town tonight, even if it was open.
I've just had a look, and it says it feels like it's -7 out,
so God knows how cold he was.
Absolutely. He's in a place of safety,
and then they were making him a cuppa just before we left.
My friends lost their life to the war and gone down.
I would love to have brought them with me here.
I felt like, "I'm the lucky one. I got out."
I could've been in that war.
I could've lost my life.
LINE BEEPS
Ambulance Service. Is the patient breathing?
Three hours into the shift, 50 jobs are waiting to be allocated a crew.
And Valentine's Day is on the horizon.
LINE BEEPS Tell me exactly what's happened.
LINE BEEPS
Yeah, I think you should get help.
Right, OK. We'll get that help arranged, OK?
It's OK.
Once this is all over, Kate, we'll just have to go out and get pissed.
Oh, definitely. Sounds like a plan. It's a date.
Definitely. It's a date!
Down the pubs, get an ambo home! THEY LAUGH
What was your last meal be?
I'd like to say lasagne, but my missus makes it too much.
I'd have to have just a few different things.
I couldn't have just one thing. You don't go for a salad?
No way.
It's a waste of energy, moving your mouth.
641, thanks. I've got a Cat 3 for you when you're ready.
Go for it. Excellent. This is an 85-year-old male.
I'll send you the details now.
There's a couple of obs there for you as well.
The patient's wife has advised the caller
that the patient was recently in hospital.
Temp is 37.2 and the nurses had trouble catheterising him.
Good morning, my dear. What's your name?
Marj?
Hiya, Marj.
You ought to know, George has got dementia. OK. So what's gone on?
He's had a bit of a pain. He's been walking around holding his crotch.
He's been quite sore. There's been some bleeding.
District nurse... District nurse has come out.
..and she said, "I'm quite concerned about this now."
OK. How do you feel in yourself, George?
All right, you know.
You feel light-headed at all or anything like that?
No. No?
Your good lady looking after you too much? Yeah. Good!
We had a big wedding anniversary two years ago - 60 years.
60? Congratulations.
We haven't even been out and had a drink because of the Covid.
I'm sorry we've got to take him away on Valentine's Day.
He's got a genuine reason to forget.
We'll look after George... OK.
..and hopefully we get him sent home, hopefully. OK?
It is. It is cold out. It's very cold tonight.
Do you want a hand, George? Ta.
Thank you. Your good lady's got it.
THEY LAUGH
A bit more blood as well? And a bit more blood as well, I bet!
You OK walking with us, George? Yeah... Follow me, sir.
That's it. You see us out.
Sit on there for me, George, please.
Perfect.
Let's get this belt on you.
Follow me. This way, George. Yeah, this way. That's it.
LINE BEEPS
Ambulance Service. Is the patient breathing?
She's in labour? OK.
Aw! Hopefully she gets a Valentine's baby!
If it's anything like last Valentine's,
I got a man who slipped on a toilet brush
and two people having sex in the shower and they got, like, vacuumed together... Oh, brilliant!
..and they couldn't get out, so they phoned an ambulance!
It should be fun. I know.
There was a little card off the kids, like for a Mummy Valentine.
Didn't even know they existed. I was like, "Oh!"
So, he made me them, made me tea and nearly killed me,
because my chicken was pink inside! Oh!
I ate the wrap, which I'd been saying
I'd been thinking about all day, and... Just pink.
Gave you the gift of diarrhoea for Valentine's Day?
Well, you know then it's in your mind.
I thought, "I'm going to wake up at one o'clock, vomiting nonstop."
The thought was there, wasn't it?
Just didn't really want food poisoning for work.
641.
641, I've got a job for you when you're ready.
It is to take our lovely man George back home to his wife,
if you don't mind.
Aw, that's brilliant! His wife was concerned. She wanted him back.
So, hopefully we'll give her a nice Valentine's present. Over.
Aw! He's just said, "We'll go and give her the Valentine's gift back."
Aw! She is going to be made up, isn't she?
Aw!
Come on, George.
As the patient is considered vulnerable,
emergency transport is arranged to take him home.
You excited to be going home?
Grab hold of this yellow barrier. Yellow barrier, George. That's it.
How do you feel now? Feel better?
Good.
Result, then.
And your wife's aware you're coming home.
She's waiting for us, OK? Yeah?
What about Marjorie? Are you looking forward to seeing your wife?
I worked in a place here. Yeah.
And she worked in the same street further up. OK. Oh, wow.
She was in an office there... OK. ..and I was in a wagon... Yeah.
..and I was taking stuff to the docks, to the ships.
OK. And is that how you met? Yeah.
And here we are, 60 years afterwards.
Yeah. Wow! Amazing.
I think we're here.
Are you OK, George? Grab a hold of me again.
It's pitch black. I don't want you to fall.
That's it. The light is on.
Good morning, Marjorie.
Look what I've got for you.
Do you want him back?
THEY LAUGH
Let's go.
You only want the dishes doing!
Have I been good? You've been excellent.
He said to me, "How did I meet you?"
I said you walked past the place I used to work in.
Oh, were you? Ooh! Is that how she got you, George?
You should do that again. What was it, the little wiggle?
Look at that! Ooh! Yeah!
60 years... Amazing, honestly.
Ups and downs, but...
..you're still both smiling. It's absolutely marvellous, honestly.
Have a good night! Thank you very much. Have a good sleep.
There's your Valentine's gift. Yeah. George is back with you.
We took him away and we brought him back.
THEY LAUGH
Thank you very much. It's all part of the service.
You take care, George. And you take care, Marjorie.
Have a good night, darling.
62 years on, still together and laughing.
It gives hope to everyone that you can carry on for 62 years
and still be in love.
NEWSREADER: Hundreds of soldiers are continuing
to help tackle the pandemic, and they're now working to ease pressure
on the North West Ambulance Service.
Morning. Morning, lovey. How are you? Very well.
How would you feel coming to help us when you were an army cadet?
I'd be very privileged. Would you? Yeah. Would you be nervous, though?
I'd probably still be nervous, but...
They've had the good training, haven't they?
Yeah, they've had good training.
Before I started, I didn't know what NHS stood for.
What does it stand for? I really didn't! What does it stand for now? I didn't!
National Health Service.
Had to write it down!
New recruit Sanjay serves with the army's Royal Logistic Corps
and is today teaming up with Dom.
How long you been in the army for, Sanjay?
Just touching, yeah, five years. OK. Yeah.
I was brought up in a military family.
My dad was in the Gurkhas. OK! Yeah, and my grandad was in the Gurkhas.
Right. So, basically... So you've got a lot to live up to, then? Yeah.
And... LINE BEEPS
Alpha 634.
634. Thank you. Good morning to you both.
Yeah, we've got a special guest on with us today, Sanjay.
Aw, brilliant! Well, welcome to him. Hope you give him a nice day.
And I'll certainly do my best this side.
Thanks a lot. Much appreciated.
LINE BEEPS
Ambulance Service. Can you tell me what's happened?
634, thank you. Straight away for you, please.
It's a 77-year-old female. It's come via the carer who is on scene.
Patient is bleeding from the legs.
Ready to go? Yeah, I'm good to go, mate.
Let's see what the day brings.
Lower priority jobs account for 19% of emergency calls.
The army's presence will help free up other paramedics
to attend higher priority cases.
Hello?
Ambulance. My name's Dominic, and this is Sanjay.
Sanjay is actually from the army. He's not from the Ambulance Service.
So, we've got soldiers in with us, helping us. Oh, come on!
THEY LAUGH
I'm 32.
I'm 26.
THEY LAUGH
He's only a baby, isn't he? She loves them young, don't you?
What's it like being a soldier in the ambulance?
I get to see beautiful people like you. You know?
Yeah.
CARER: Does he tickle the fancy, Mo?
What's been happening today?
What? We've just come in this morning
and her legs have changed colour, like, drastically.
The bleeding... The sheets were sort of red. Then I was like, "Where's the blood coming from?"
But if you move this, it's still underneath more. OK.
And we were just worried because of the colour.
What do you suffer with, my love?
Ulcers. Ulcers? Do you mind if I check your blood sugars?
Is that all right?
THEY LAUGH
Remember, I'm the older one.
"Oh, not him!"
Let's have a look...
OK, I'm the young one. Yeah.
This thing is going to be near your head, forehead.
I'm just going to take your temperature, OK? Yeah.
OK, just bear with me.
34.9, OK? Which isn't... That's not right. That's not right. No.
I'll take your temperature again, OK? Yes.
I'm the young guy again. Ooh! HE LAUGHS
Just bear with me.
Yeah, 36.1. That's great. Thanks, mate.
All your obs are normal for you, OK?
So what I'll do now is I'll just get on the phone to the nurses
and see what they can do.
All right, lovely.
She was a nice lady, wasn't she? Yeah, she was. Quite funny. Yeah.
She certainly liked you. Yeah. 25 - young!
She'd have done anything for you - she'd have gone to hospital for you!
Yeah! It was good. Right, one down, however many more to go.
LINE BEEPS
So the whole car's gone over him, from the back wheels?
LINE BEEPS
Ambulance Service. Is the patient breathing?
What, on the zip, or...?
Oh, OK.
Cut his nether regions on a piece of string, by the looks of it.
His neighbours are going to go, "What happened?"
Yeah - "What happened?"
You'd have to lie. I'd go, "Chest pain." Yeah.
Yeah, well, you're not going to say, "I've cut my penis on a piece of string," are you?
LINE BEEPS
Ambulance Service. Is the patient breathing?
Is he having a fit?
What have you got, love? Nine-year-old.
It's come through as "Cannot bend right arm and vomiting,"
and then it said patient's fitting.
Who's on it, 641?
We were here last time.
Jack and Deke arrive to the patient in just four minutes.
Hello, love. We meet again. So, has he been OK since then?
Oh, he's got focal epilepsy now? OK.
When we came before, he had a full seizure, didn't he,
a full tonic-clonic where his whole body was shaking?
Yeah, now, right side.
How do your arms feel now?
Good? Right, well, we'll do a couple of checks on you.
Hello, Prajeith.
Can I stick this in your ear, mate, just to get your temperature?
36.1.
36.1. I just need one more little thing, my friend.
A little bit of blood from your finger.
It's going to be a sharp scratch, OK? Like last time.
It won't hurt, OK, my friend?
Sats were 98, mate, pulse 102.
All right, well, fantastic.
for you, if that's all right. Yeah.
Yeah? Brilliant. Take your time. Nice and slow, mate.
Grab hold of this rail.
Come on. Nice and slow. One step at a time. You're in your house.
Take it easy. Grab hold of me.
That's it. Up you go.
All right, Prajeith, have a sit down here for me, mate.
It was hard trying to adjust to life in Liverpool.
But I got comfortable.
Everyone was lovely and warm.
I'm settled and I'm happy where I am.
I'm proud to be a Scouse.
But at the same time, I know my culture, I know who I am,
I know where I'm from.
I was born into Islam. I take it with me everywhere I go.
ISLAMIC PRAYER PLAYS FROM MOBILE
I'll tell you something, Sanjay. Hm?
I tried to get in the army when I was 17. 17? Yeah.
But I failed my hearing test. Hearing test? Oh, OK.
At the time, it was...
It was hard, because that's all I ever wanted to do. Yeah.
It was my dad, once I failed to get in the army... Yeah.
..it was him that...
He picked me up... Yeah. ..dusted me off... Mm-hm.
..and he basically said, "Listen," you know,
"you've got to sort yourself out." Mm-hm.
And in the end, it was him that put me on this path... Mm-hm.
..to working in the Ambulance Service.
634, thank you. I've got another lovely lady for Sanjay,
if you're ready for details, please.
Yeah, that's fantastic. Yeah, we're ready to go.
Aw, brilliant, thank you. It's a Category 3.
However, it's come via 111, suitable for yourselves.
It's a 74-year-old female. She is complaining of lower back pain.
Yeah, we'll go along and see what's going on.
The lovely Sanjay will no doubt woo her over.
SHE LAUGHS
Well, I'll look forward to that update. Many thanks, over.
Hiya, mate, you OK?
Hiya, my name's Dominic.
This is Sanjay.
What's been happening today, Olive?
I fell. I had a bad fall in the shower room on Sunday evening.
I hurt my back...
..here at the bottom of my back.
Whereabouts? Let's have a look.
Your lower back?
Lower back.
It's tender there. Is it? Quite tender.
Your mobility's definitely worse.
It's worse than it was. Yeah, but...
..now it's, altogether, you know...
..it's gone altogether now.
Has it? Yeah. All right.
Would you say it's the worst pain you've ever felt in your life?
Probably. Is it? Yeah.
So it's right up there then, isn't it? Yeah, probably. All right.
You know, as we're talking now, I can sort of see that you're in pain
so it must be a considerable amount of pain that you're in. Yeah.
So, with your reduction in mobility,
I just think it might be worth us
nipping down to the hospital just to get a scan, to get an X-ray.
What do you think? Yeah, if you think that's best.
Ready, steady, lift.
Just tip it.
Don't worry, don't worry.
Next time you have a fall,
don't leave it so long before you call us out.
No, I shouldn't have done.
It feels tomorrow it's going to feel better, you know.
Tomorrow will be a better day? Yeah.
I got my first job in the NHS
and before I'd finished my training, my dad had got sick.
I phoned an ambulance
and that's the first time I've ever phoned an ambulance
and the last time.
They took him into Fazakerley Hospital and he died.
What I went through, when I seen my dad on the hospital bed,
and they were performing CPR, I carry that with me
all the time, especially when I'm in work.
And I wonder...
..would he be proud of what I'm doing now?
Seen her little green outfit?
Did you make that? Yes.
So I took a shirt. I cut all the little patches off it. Yeah.
Sewed it on, so she's got the NHS badge. She's got that.
She's got the ambulance on the back. She's got little sirens on her bike
and then, look, work gave me a little blank lanyard for her.
Oh, she's got a little lanyard. Yeah. Does she feel like you?
Yes, she always says, "Ambulance Mummy.
"I'm going to be like Ambulance Mummy." Oh, God!
And when I go to work, Dave says, "What does Mummy go to work to do?"
and she goes, "To save lives and help the people."
Aww! I know.
Is someone still doing the chest compressions?
Just let me know if he starts to get worse, OK? You're doing really well.
So a patient spat in your eye.
What about your left ear?
OK, tell me exactly what's happened.
Your hand's come out of place.
Imran is on the line to a patient who frequently rings 999.
What's the address of the emergency, please?
I used to dread the beep in my ear to answer a call.
I used to absolutely dread it.
How are we spelling that?
OK, but you need to tell me where you are.
No, listen to me, I want you to calm down.
I'm going to help you, but let me just find this address.
Hold the line for me, OK?
You're always scared of saying the wrong thing
and that was going to result in someone dying.
CALLER WAILS
No, I won't! No, I won't!
Who are you speaking to?
..I'll get everyone!
Who are you speaking to?
Hello?
You need to remain calm at all times
regardless if someone is screaming down the phone at you.
You have to remember they're in pain,
or they could see someone else in pain who they love.
Hi, it's the Ambulance Service.
If you'd call us back on 999, if you require an ambulance. Thank you.
Tell me exactly what's happened.
OK, it's a terrible, terrible thing, this Covid.
SIRENS BLARE
Alpha 171.
I've just passed you a Category 1 call.
That is for a 74-year-old male.
He is conscious, but with ineffective breathing.
He is waiting a Covid test result.
Sats are currently between 87 and 88.
It's going to be positive with sats like that, isn't it?
Sounds like. Yeah.
Alpha 171, Kate and Danielle,
are seven minutes away from their patient.
What's been going on today?
Er, well, the last fortnight, I haven't been able to eat.
No energy. OK.
And every time I do have something to eat, I just vomited it up.
No diagnosis of COPD, asthma, anything like that? No. No.
I'm just going to have a little listen to your chest, Kenny, OK?
Yeah.
Are we OK to pop a little oxygen mask on your face there, my love?
Is that all right?
There you go, my love.
Are you one of those people that always wears shorts even
when it's snowing outside?
THEY LAUGH
So, Kenny, because your oxygen levels are a little
bit on the low side, we'd recommend that we take you in to hospital.
I know.
It's just that you're requiring a little
bit of oxygen at the moment to help you breathe.
No, you will come out.
Of course you will.
I understand the fear of going in
but, at the moment, you need the treatment
that only really can be done at hospital.
We don't take anyone to hospital that doesn't need to go.
Those days have gone. Yeah.
Don't be scared.
You're going in cos if not you're going to
be on one of these for the rest of your life, cos it'll get worse.
Treatment now while it works.
Yeah?
Is that OK?
Yeah?
Shall we get you a nice little bag packed
so you can take your stuff with you?
Little bump over the step.
All right, Ken. I'm going to pop you on here, all right, sweetheart?
Oh, yeah, cos there'll be trouble if you don't, eh?
Won't there?
THEY LAUGH
Are these all your fans?
Popular, aren't you?
And modest, as well!
Ken, can I pop a seat belt on you?
Is that all right, my love?
A seat belt so you don't run away.
I know you're reluctant to go in.
Fingers crossed, he'll be out in a couple of days.
Just hate Covid. Hate Covid?
Needs to go now. It does. Yeah.
It really does. Had enough of it.
I think this lockdown's been the worst.
This one over the first one. Definitely.
I think the first one people were full of hope and now it's just...
Everyone's fed up.
Everyone's fed up of it.
They're just tired. Yeah.
I'm going to go to Ireland as soon as it's lifted. Do it.
As soon as it's safe, I'm going to Ireland.
I want to see my auntie and my uncle.
Oh, I would, Mags.
# Wappa-dee-doo-dah!
# Wappa-dee-ay
# My, oh my, what a wonderful day. #
Yeah, that's my wife.
Hiya, love. Hiya. You OK?
Yeah. What's your name?
Missing my husband. You want him back home now?
You can have him back at six o'clock. OK, talk to you later then.
Love you. Bye-bye. Love you.
Dom and Sanjay have been on scene for six minutes treating
a patient with suspected Covid.
PATIENT COUGHS
It's a nasty cough you've got, isn't it?
Yeah, I woke up yesterday and I felt so ill.
I didn't think I was going to get a chance to breathe.
Right, OK.
If you don't mind, I'll do your obs and that.
Obviously, just for Sanjay's own experience, is it all right
he has a chat with you while I do all your obs and that?
OK. Wow.
You must be proud then?
I am, yeah.
I'm glad they've not turned out like scals on the street corner.
I didn't think the youngest lad would make it, to be honest,
cos he hates authority, so I'm really proud of him, like.
He seems to have grown up a lot.
Yeah. That's what it does.
So many young lads,
so many young people from different areas come together
and work together as a team and that's where you build up
your team trust, loyalty, respect for others, courage.
That totally changes you.
I'm coughing loads of green stuff up.
OK, obviously with Covid
it is primarily a dry, nonproductive cough.
Oh, right, yeah.
So with you saying you're coughing lots of green stuff up,
it'll point us more towards a chest infection.
Just with your obs being as stable as they are,
I don't think we need to rush off down to hospital.
No.
Speak to one of your GPs and we'll see what the GP recommends.
Just see what we can do. Yeah. Try and keep you at home, like. Cool.
Yeah, is that OK? Yeah, that's great.
No worries. Thanks, guys. See you now. Bye.
634, thank you. Hope you're well.
I'm just after an update on your last job, if that's all right?
Yeah, we've had a great day.
We've had a great day, me and Sanjay.
We both learned from each other.
That's what it's all about, isn't it?
Every day's a school day and I can't fault it. Had a great day.
Ah, you're making me well up.
Every day is a school day.
I think I say that at least once a day.
So all's good and thanks very much
and good night to you both, I think it is now.
Now I will have a great story to tell my mates and later on.
It's just a memory now. Your family? Yeah, my family.
You'll have always helped out when we needed help.
Nothing's going to change that, mate. Yeah.
MUSIC: Hear My Voice by Celeste
# Hear my voice
# Hear my dreams
# Let us make a world... #
So this is my memory book.
Someone asked me could they have help putting the bins out.
Someone got bitten by a rat.
# Hear my words... #
I feel where I had a family at the airline,
I have a family at the Ambulance Service.
Right, I'll see you laters.
Bye.
I shall never forget this job. It'll be with me for life.
But whenever I do look up and I see an aircraft going past...
..I get butterflies.
# You may think I won't be heard
# Still I raise this hand. #
All right, mate.
Been a wonderful day.
There's not many of us Muslim, black in North West Ambulance Service,
so I want to show them that the kid that came here when he was 11,
that couldn't speak a word of English...
All right, Kev, how are you, mate?
..he's trying to go up the ladder as far as he can and be a role model.
# Hear my dreams. #
The Ambulance Service, we're all just a bunch of misfits.
You're a better driver than half of us.
Most of us.
You can come back, Sanjay.
When you've got a job where you can go to work and not feel as
though you're going to work, then, you know, you've cracked it.
You've cracked life.
# In which we believe
# Hear my words
# Hear my choice
# Hear my voice. #