Ambulance returns with the first episode of a brand new series tonight (24 August).
The opening instalment coincides with the commencement of a two-day strike impacting ambulance services nationwide, marking a generation’s most expansive industrial action.
In this context, the North West Ambulance Service encounters a loss of over one-third of its workforce due to staff participation in picket line demonstrations, prompted by concerns about pay, working conditions, and patient safety.
Given limited resources, the service restricts its response to category 1 and 2 emergency calls, which are the most life-threatening, while category 3 and 4 calls will not receive ambulance dispatches.
Amid the unfolding events, an emergency call reports a patient in respiratory distress. Dispatcher Joe promptly deploys the nearest available crew, located 19 minutes away due to picket line duties. Until emergency assistance arrives, call handler Annie guides the caller through vital life-saving instructions.
Despite their best efforts, the on-scene crew reluctantly decides to cease resuscitation, prompting dispatcher Joe to reflect on the far-reaching consequences of the strike.
With a fresh 12-hour shift underway and no ongoing strike action, the service operates at normal capacity. Crew members Phil and Ian respond to a report of a road traffic collision on the M6, involving a vehicle overturned. The mission presents a poignant challenge for Phil, who opens up about the recent loss of close relatives in a fatal collision.
Back at the control centre, the team grapples with a 33% increase in call volume in Cumbria and Lancashire compared to the same time during the previous day’s strike. Crewmates Jared and Jamie receive a dispatch to a vicarage, where they assist an 89-year-old woman who has fallen. The patient expresses profound gratitude for both the NHS and the ambulance service.
Subsequently, a category 1 call arrives concerning a patient who has collapsed and ceased breathing. Advanced paramedic Amy is stationed less than a mile away and is poised to arrive within a mere 80 seconds. Multiple medical professionals at the scene work tirelessly to stabilize the patient before transferring him on a red pre-alert to the nearest A&E.
As the control team embarks on another 12-hour night shift, they anticipate staff participation in another morning strike. Category 3 calls still warrant ambulance responses. Jared and Jamie are dispatched to attend to a 25-year-old experiencing vomiting due to gallstones. The patient’s robust family support network prompts paramedic Jared to reflect on his upbringing with a parent grappling with addiction.
In Lancaster, Ian and Phil receive a call from an 88-year-old patient on blood thinners experiencing persistent nosebleeds. After being reassured by the crew, the patient confesses her initial hesitation to seek help due to concerns about the ongoing strike.
Lastly, Jared and Jamie are moments away from a 25-year-old female patient with low mood and suicidal thoughts. Upon arrival, the crew discovers the patient undergoing a mental health crisis exacerbated by postnatal depression. Demonstrating effective breathing exercises, the crew manages to alleviate the patient’s distress, leaving her at home with a brighter and more positive outlook.
Ambulance airs Thursday at 9PM on BBC One and BBC iPlayer here.
