- 2 days ago
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:01Coming up, in Dorset, the police, fire and ambulance crews
00:05are scrambled to the rescue of a woman caught in a head-on collision.
00:16In Glasgow, after collapsing, a seriously ill man
00:19has spent a whole day lying on his bedroom floor.
00:22So, Wayne, did you fall? Did you fall? Yesterday. Yesterday? Yeah.
00:27And in Wales, I fear the worst as a call comes in to say a baby's not breathing.
00:32And this is a red one call, which means immediate life-threatening.
00:36We've just got to get there.
00:45Over the last few months, I've been privileged to be on the front line
00:48of the UK's ambulance services
00:50and seen for myself the calm but rapid response every 999 call receives.
00:56Today, I'm joining a Bournemouth paramedic
00:58for what will turn out to be a team effort from the land and air.
01:03Can you tell me what your role within the ambulance service is?
01:06Because I spot a couple of pips on your shoulders there.
01:09Sure, sure. I'm one of a team of up to 20 clinical support officers
01:13and we respond to a variety of calls.
01:16If it involves a road traffic collision with two or more ambulances.
01:21If the patient's trapped within a vehicle.
01:23Oh, that's a call. Is that a call? Yeah.
01:26It will be on our way.
01:31Yeah, I've got an emergency call. I don't know where it is at the moment.
01:33Off we go.
01:34A senior member of the Southwest Ambulance Service, Simon has 12 years service under his belt.
01:47We're on our way to a head-on collision in the Verwood area.
01:53At the moment, it looks like there's potentially three patients but two are walking wounded.
01:58There is still someone trapped in the car.
02:00A reduced GCS or Glasgow Coma Scale means the patient has reduced consciousness.
02:16It sounds quite real. It sounds quite serious. So with that in mind, it's a priority for us to get there.
02:24As paramedic supervisor, it's Simon's job to decide the appropriate level of response from the ambulance service.
02:30There's already a paramedic crew at the scene, but if the casualty is seriously injured,
02:35they'll need urgent evacuation to the nearest specialist trauma unit.
02:38Simon radios control. He wants air ambulance on site.
02:42When something like this happens, it's a head-on collision. It's an RTC.
02:55There's multiple patients, all resources, to make sure that these people are all right, get mobilised.
03:01So we've got HeliMed on the way. There's a doctor on site already. There's an officer there.
03:05There's two ambulances coming to make sure everyone can get transferred to the hospital.
03:09This situation is actually combining absolutely everything that I've done.
03:14I know it from every aspect. I really have done the 360 degrees of this job.
03:21We're now just a couple of minutes from the accident.
03:23I'm imagining that this is going to be quite a scene when we get there with...
03:26Yeah, let's not go round the corner too, really.
03:30Yep.
03:32As we arrive, we find ambulances and two fire engines already there.
03:36A car and a van have been in a head-on collision.
03:45A female passenger is trapped in the wreckage and complaining of severe neck pain.
03:51Simon needs an urgent update on her condition from Officer Steve, who was first on scene.
03:57All right.
03:58Yeah, well we've got two vehicles head-on. We've got a lady in this vehicle, which we're concerned about.
04:04Yeah.
04:05Back, shoulder pain, reduced conscious level when I got here. She'd lost eyesight and she was scurrying.
04:14Amazingly, the casualty's husband, who was driving the van, has emerged seemingly unscathed.
04:19Have you got any pains in your neck or your bag?
04:22Simon's concerned he may have suffered whiplash.
04:24Take a breath in. Does it hurt at all?
04:26Have you got any pain in your neck there at all?
04:28The car driver and her eight-year-old daughter have also walked away from the accident.
04:33Hello.
04:34So at the moment, from what I can see, you know, you've got this quite small car here.
04:39The airbags seem to have gone off on this, which I presume is where the two walking rooms have come out of.
04:44But there's quite an elderly lady who's in this van here.
04:47But to see from the impact there, that's a proper head-on collision and it doesn't look like there's airbags in there.
04:53Everyone's around. We've got Helimed, who obviously found a sight over here.
04:58They're coming in to land.
05:00So when they're coming down now, from being in there, they're going to take it into here.
05:06So they'll be explaining that they're over the trees.
05:09Making sure all the time when they're coming down that there's no lines.
05:13There's enough care that can increase them.
05:15And they'll find it as close as possible as they can to the east of them.
05:20And also to the gate to make sure that they can actually get the police in and out.
05:25With the helicopter now on scene, Simon checks on the casualties' condition
05:29with the ambulance crew.
05:31Just a quick one. Are you concerned at all about this lady?
05:33Have you got any big concerns? ABC.
05:35ABC, or airway, breathing and circulation, are the three first things paramedics have to assess in a trauma patient.
05:43The casualties' breathing is fine, but her blood pressure is falling.
05:49With no obvious blood loss, Simon's concerned it could be a sign of internal bleeding.
05:54And there's still the possibility of serious spinal or neck damage.
05:59The fire crews are working hard to cut her out of the vehicle.
06:03But progress has to be painstakingly slow.
06:07Burwood Fire Station Incident Commander Dave gives Simon an update.
06:11I've just got a heads up for my guy.
06:13I think we're going to pop that lady in the aircraft.
06:16Yeah, there's a lot of consequences, but medical entrapment at the moment.
06:19Yeah, okay.
06:20We're just going to take it easy.
06:21So what we're going to do is we're going to flap this whole roof section back.
06:23And we can take her straight through the side, no problem.
06:26Yeah, okay, cool.
06:27That's my husband. I'll have a chat with him in a minute.
06:29To get this lady out of the fire service, they're cutting away,
06:32but I think when it used to be in a van,
06:34it's not as easy as taking the top off a car.
06:38And also to actually cut through all the special safety joints,
06:41it makes it incredibly difficult.
06:45So we've managed to get the roof off now and the roof's coming off,
06:48which gives better access to our patient there.
06:54With the roof off, Simon gives the all-clear for the helicopter paramedics
06:58to take over from the ambulance crew.
07:00They're working with a fire service
07:02to get the female passenger out of the vehicle.
07:04Any sudden movements,
07:06and they could cause irreparable damage to her spine or neck.
07:12I think what I'd like to do is take her out on a longboard,
07:14lie her flat on her side, slide her out on the longboard.
07:17Yeah, okay.
07:18And then roll onto that one.
07:19It takes quite a few people to mount
07:21because the neck's got to be protected.
07:23Because of the size of the impact,
07:25you've got to make sure that there is no better injuries.
07:27And make sure, you know, the spine is protected at all times.
07:31There's so many people having to work together there.
07:33There's, what, 10, 12 people.
07:37The casualty is finally clear of the vehicle.
07:40Mickey?
07:41It's like a problem on her side.
07:43Yeah, the problem the crew have had,
07:45which we sometimes have with industrial vehicles,
07:47even though this is a van,
07:48is the seats have been proved a bit of a problem to cut back.
07:51And as she's getting cold,
07:53and she's got low blood pressure,
07:55it was deemed that the best way to bring her out head first
07:57was just on her side.
07:58Right.
07:59With anything like this,
08:00with quite a severe impact,
08:01you've got to assess and constantly reassess
08:03to avoid missing any internal injuries, obviously.
08:06So once they get in the aircraft,
08:07where it's a bit warmer,
08:08they'll start to get down to skin level,
08:10and they'll be able to look at any bruising that's developing,
08:13that could be telltale signs that she's maybe got some bleeding.
08:17The fire crew stretch of the casualty straight to the waiting helicopter.
08:24Once again, I'm amazed at the quiet professionalism
08:27of the emergency services.
08:29There seems to be a real cohesion between workforces.
08:34You know, you've got the police, the paramedics and the fire service.
08:36Yeah.
08:37That's about working in a disciplined team.
08:39I'll speak to the lead paramedic,
08:41understand what he wants from us.
08:43We'll action what the paramedics want.
08:45Immediate access.
08:46Right, we'll move the door.
08:47We do that.
08:48We come back to them.
08:49What do you want next?
08:50And that's how it works.
08:51Is it true that you've probably cut more people out of cars
08:53than house fires?
08:54We probably have house fires once or twice a year.
08:58RTCs every month for us.
09:00Unbelievable, innit?
09:02I chat to the mother and daughter from the car,
09:04who amazingly have no known injuries.
09:08Now, from looking at the impact on that car,
09:11I find it really hard to believe that you were driving it.
09:14I mean, it's such a surprise that you've managed to walk away from that.
09:17Yeah, me too.
09:18And this is your daughter.
09:20Yes.
09:21Were you in the front seat or were you in the back?
09:23I was in the front.
09:24He was in the front.
09:25It must have been a real shock for you.
09:27Of course.
09:28My daughter, you couldn't open the door,
09:30but she had to come out on my side.
09:33It was horrible, really horrible.
09:36For Simon and the rest of the emergency services,
09:39today has been a textbook operation.
09:42Two or three people were out of the vehicles.
09:45They didn't have any significant injuries,
09:47despite what was quite a hard impact.
09:49Yeah, I mean, it's amazing.
09:50We saw the damage on both the vehicles, nose to nose.
09:52It was quite a hard impact.
09:53However, the one lady that we do identify still in the van
09:57may have been knocked out or had some sort of collapse.
09:59She also had neck pain and she had very low blood pressure
10:02and they couldn't find a reason for that.
10:03So they checked her chest, they checked her tummy and all her limbs.
10:06So she was the main concern.
10:08Where we are, the distance to anywhere is vast.
10:13So the quickest way to move her to a hospital was by air.
10:17The casualty has been flown straight to Southampton Hospital,
10:21where specialist doctors can establish the extent of her injuries
10:24and give her appropriate treatment.
10:26Thankfully, she was later allowed home.
10:28Coming up, a daughter has found her father desperately ill,
10:34collapsed on his bedroom floor.
10:36He fell out of bed when he's been sick.
10:38Did you fall out of the bedroom?
10:40And Glasgow paramedic Mari tries to reach an elderly woman
10:45who's pressed her panic alarm.
10:47Annie, can you open the door?
10:49Annie, can you open the door?
10:50Annie, can you open the door?
10:51Annie, can you open the door?
10:56With a population of over half a million, Glasgow is easily Scotland's biggest city.
11:03At any one time, there are around 30 ambulances and five rapid response units all out on call.
11:10And the Scottish Ambulance Service work around the clock to cover the length and breadth of the city.
11:16Paramedic Mari has worked alone on a rapid response vehicle for six years.
11:22I think it's a great job.
11:26It's different every day.
11:28You meet a wide variety of people.
11:32You also get to see things that other people never get to see.
11:37You can literally be the first person to touch a newborn baby and to see a newborn baby's face.
11:45And you can also be the last person ever to touch someone.
11:50That's quite a privileged position to be in.
11:56Hi Mari, just to let you know what you're going for, please.
11:59Siren, call us from a call box.
12:01We don't know what's happening.
12:03The possible hope of calls.
12:07The ambulance control centre has had a mysterious call from a public phone box,
12:11in which the caller gave no details of what their problem is.
12:15It may or may not be a medical emergency.
12:18But ignoring it is not an option.
12:21So it could well be a hoax call.
12:24Or it could be somebody who has managed to phone 999 and then they've collapsed.
12:32It's important that we go and check it out and just make sure that nobody does require help.
12:42This is it.
12:44This is the phone box.
12:46As you can see, the phone's off the hook.
12:48I would imagine that they're, they're well gone.
12:52What does mark it as a hoax call?
12:54It's a common problem during school holidays, where children seem to think that it's really, really funny to phone 999 and then either hang up or to leave the phone hanging.
13:12They clearly don't understand.
13:14Or you hope that they don't understand that the ramifications for that can be huge.
13:20It could be a member of their family that requires the ambulance and can't get it.
13:24And that's a horrible thought.
13:27Mari's next call comes with more information.
13:34A young man has collapsed in the street and it's likely that he's been drinking heavily.
13:39Recent figures show that in certain parts of Glasgow, the average number of alcohol-related deaths is nearly six times the rate in the rest of the UK.
13:47So Mari is well used to working with patients who've had too much to drink.
13:51We would attend every, every sort of alcohol-related call from people who are suicidal because they, they don't like the fact that they're alcoholic.
14:03Right down to 13 or 14 year olds, to people who are assaulted.
14:09It's massive.
14:11The patient is on his own, sprawled on the pavement and seemingly unable to get up.
14:16Although he's clearly drunk, Mari still needs to check if he has any other medical problems as well.
14:21What's going on with you?
14:22I thought my heart stopped.
14:24You thought your heart had stopped?
14:26Alright, well the good news is that's not happened.
14:28I do.
14:30Because you're sitting up and talking to me.
14:32And if your heart stops, you don't sit up and talk to me.
14:35I know, I mean, I mean.
14:37You're really not making any sense, pal.
14:39I really do.
14:41The man is upset, but can't be specific about why he called for help.
14:46I just want you to help me.
14:48But you're not telling me what you want me to do for you?
14:51Have you been drinking?
14:53No, I'm not.
14:54Do you drink every day?
14:56Well, I've asked her, yeah.
15:01So, what, what do you want me to do for you tonight?
15:04Just keep going.
15:05It's all okay.
15:06Well, that's not going to happen tonight.
15:09You know that they won't treat you when you're drinking.
15:12Mari doesn't want to leave the man alone on the street on a cold winter night.
15:16But as he's got no obvious injuries, she can't take him to the nearest A&E.
15:20And her only other option is to call for police backup.
15:23The gentleman's sitting on the side of the road.
15:25He says that there's nothing wrong with him other than he wants to be admitted to rehab for alcohol detox.
15:29I'm not sure whether the police might be a better option.
15:32I don't overly want to suggest that to him because I don't want him kicking off at me.
15:35What?
15:36Yeah, it's not a problem.
15:37I'll contact the police to fix it.
15:38Yeah, could you do that for me?
15:40That'd be great.
15:41You want me to leave?
15:42No.
15:43All right.
15:44I love you.
15:45You really don't, you don't know me.
15:48What is that?
15:50That's a police car.
15:53That's it?
15:54Mm-hmm.
15:55Mari's patient qualifies as drunk and incapable and can spend the night sobering up in police
16:01cells.
16:02You need to sleep off your drunken state in a cell.
16:05Was my drunken state?
16:08Sorry, I thought you were drunk.
16:09No, it's my mistake then.
16:10Take me.
16:11You're going to go with me.
16:12OK.
16:13Thanks, guys.
16:14See you later.
16:15Bye-bye.
16:16He's been taken to a place of safety which is the police station and he'll be kept an
16:21eye on and released once he's sober enough to look after himself.
16:27He's just lonely and feels sorry for himself and basically just wanted someone to talk to.
16:33Yeah.
16:34Thankfully, in the daytime in Glasgow, there are fewer alcohol-related calls.
16:42But there's no let-up.
16:44Drug abuse, alcohol addiction, smoking and obesity rates are among the highest in the
16:49UK and all of these put huge pressures on the Scottish Ambulance Service.
16:54I'm starting on an afternoon shift with two long-serving paramedics.
16:59Sally has been in the Scottish Ambulance Service for 16 years.
17:04Kirsten has 15 years experience.
17:07Our first call has already come in and we're sent to an address in the north-eastern district
17:12of the city.
17:13What call are we going to?
17:15A 79-year-old male who has fallen.
17:20We've got no injury details or anything.
17:22The man could have suffered a heart attack or stroke.
17:31I take it he's the one with the open door.
17:34Paramedic Sally heads straight for the bedroom and finds the elderly man still sprawled on
17:38the floor next to his bed.
17:40He's barely conscious and the experienced crew quickly assess the situation.
17:45What's his name?
17:46Ian.
17:47Ian?
17:48I'm bailed out of the bed when he's been sick.
17:50Goodness me.
17:51So did you find him here?
17:52Yeah, I did.
17:55Are you related?
17:56I'm his daughter.
17:57I'm his daughter.
17:58What's your dad?
17:59Out of the lady, out of the bed.
18:00Ian's worried daughter, Elaine, was paying her dad a routine visit when she found him.
18:06Unable to lift him onto the bed, she called 999 straight away.
18:10Ian, can we roll you over onto your back?
18:13Oh, Ian, be careful.
18:14Well, well, be careful, my man.
18:16We're told Ian had a major heart attack six years ago and spent ten weeks in hospital recovering.
18:24The paramedics think he may have suffered a second heart attack and his cries of pain
18:29could signal internal damage.
18:31Any delay in treatment could lower his chances of making a recovery.
18:35Can we set you up?
18:37Do you bend your knees for us?
18:39That's it.
18:40Right.
18:41You ready?
18:42One, two, three.
18:43Go.
18:44Right.
18:45The worry is just how long Ian lay semi-conscious before his daughter found him.
18:54So when did you fall?
18:55Did you fall?
18:56Yesterday.
18:57Yesterday?
18:58When was it last?
18:59This means it could be 24 hours or more since Ian suspected second heart attack.
19:04An ECG test confirms irregular heart activity.
19:10Listen, you're going to have to come up to the hospital for a check-up.
19:14Ian.
19:15OK.
19:16This is your chariot here.
19:20That's your chariot.
19:21OK.
19:22That's me and Kirsten.
19:25They're the horses.
19:26Right.
19:27One, two, three.
19:29Ah!
19:31Ian's daughter will make her way to the hospital by car.
19:36OK.
19:41Right.
19:42That's you.
19:43We take Ian to the A&E department of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where doctors will take over
19:48his care.
19:50Sadly, Ian never returned home from hospital.
19:54Tess confirmed he'd suffered another heart attack, this time severe.
19:58His liver and kidneys were damaged by the heart attack trauma, and ten weeks later, he died.
20:04Even once I'm back home, this stays in my mind.
20:07It's made me really sad that Ian didn't make it.
20:13The paramedics can only do a certain amount, and you kind of think, if you can get them
20:20into hospital with a pulse, breathing, then you know you've done a good job, but unfortunately
20:27that isn't the end of everybody's stories.
20:30And they don't.
20:31They don't always make a recovery.
20:34Coming up, worried office workers make an emergency call saying one of their colleagues
20:39has suffered a stroke.
20:41Time and time is the main one to get to these patients, is to make sure that they get the
20:46best possible treatment as soon as possible.
20:49And after a panic alarm's pressed, paramedic Mari is sent to a familiar patient.
20:54I was called recently to discover a river of blood running out of her door.
21:09The Welsh Ambulance Service covers 8,000 square miles of predominantly rural countryside.
21:15As well as larger ambulances, the service runs 106 lightweight rapid response vehicles.
21:22They're often first on the scene of an emergency.
21:25Today, paramedic Kelvin is on shift in one of these RRVs.
21:29It's a job he's been doing with the Welsh Ambulance Service for 11 years.
21:33Best job I've ever had.
21:36It doesn't suit everybody.
21:38They take it home with them.
21:39And that's the worst possible thing you can do in this job, is take the job home with you.
21:44Never ever take it home with you.
21:47An emergency call has just come in.
21:52Female, that's true.
21:57A stroke occurs when the blood supplied to part of the brain is cut off, leading to possible brain damage or a heart attack.
22:04If Kelvin suspects this, he will need to get the patient to hospital as fast as he can.
22:10Time is the main one to get to these patients.
22:13It's to make sure that they get the best possible treatment as soon as possible.
22:17The patient works in an office on an industrial estate, and a colleague quickly updates Kelvin.
22:24My wife was just talking to her.
22:26Yeah.
22:27Face has dropped.
22:28She's talking funny.
22:29She says she's fine, but she's not.
22:36As Kelvin makes his way into the office, a support ambulance arrives.
22:40Wait.
22:41Inside?
22:42Yeah.
22:47What's happened?
22:48Nothing.
22:49It's fine, I know.
22:50How do you feel?
22:51Do you feel okay?
22:52I feel absolutely fine.
22:53Really.
22:54Right.
22:55What's your first name?
22:56Jenny.
22:57Right.
22:58Jenny.
22:59Obviously, they've been a little bit concerned about you for whatever reason.
23:02But Jenny's colleagues were right to worry.
23:05Office manager, Jodie, was chatting with Jenny about where to go on holiday when she noticed Jenny was slurring her words.
23:11And I look up, and she's talking a whole load of gibberish.
23:14I said, are you all right?
23:16It was all thick and it...
23:18Yeah.
23:19Right, Jenny, what I need to do, we need to do a few little tests on you.
23:22All right.
23:23If that's okay.
23:24That's fine.
23:25Yeah?
23:26Yeah.
23:27Kelvin uses the well-publicised act, fast, tickless, to spot any telltale signs of a stroke.
23:31Face?
23:32Has her face fallen on one side?
23:34Can she smile?
23:35Can you give me a nice big smile?
23:36Show me your teeth.
23:37Arms.
23:38Can she raise them both and keep them there?
23:40Close your eyes for me.
23:41I need to bring your arms out in front of you.
23:43Bring your arms out right up high and just hold them there for me a sec.
23:47That's fantastic.
23:48And speech.
23:49Is it slurred?
23:50What I need to say for me is the rain in Spain lies mainly on the plane.
23:53The rain in Spain lies mainly on the plane.
23:56Fantastic.
23:57The T stands for time.
23:59Jenny's colleagues rightly dialed 999.
24:01And you don't have a facial droop for no reason and start talking gibberish.
24:05Not unless you're drunk like I am on those nights.
24:08You girls haven't been drinking in here this afternoon have you?
24:10No.
24:11No such luck.
24:12Jenny seems to have recovered but Kelvin suspects she's had a TIA, transient ischemic attack
24:19or mini stroke.
24:20It's caused by a temporary fall in blood supply to the brain.
24:23A small blockage starving it of oxygen.
24:26Kelvin takes Jenny's blood pressure.
24:28Sorry about all this for spoobs.
24:29I really am.
24:30I really am.
24:31I am.
24:32Honestly.
24:33I am.
24:34Jenny's blood pressure is unstable which signals a clot may have formed.
24:37It's gone from one end right to the other.
24:39Right.
24:40Which makes it all the more reason why you've got to go in and get his check.
24:43It's my husband.
24:44Hello.
24:45How's it?
24:46Jenny gave her husband Gerald the fright of his life.
24:49He's rushed in from home to be at her side.
24:51Yeah, she's fine.
24:52So.
24:53She's had a little turn but she seems a bit better now so we'll get her chest out though.
24:57It's her worst driver ever.
24:58She's down there.
24:59She thought she was fine when it was actually happening.
25:02But her speech has come back.
25:04Yeah.
25:05I don't know.
25:06Right, you've got your carriage.
25:07The mood has lightened but Jenny needs to go to hospital.
25:11A TIA is sometimes a warning that you're likely to have a stroke in the future and she
25:16may need medication to help prevent this.
25:18But Jenny seems to be more concerned about her works lottery syndicate.
25:22These are the lucky numbers are they?
25:24Well they haven't been very lucky yet.
25:26No.
25:27No offence darling but we would like to get you on the chair and get you off as soon as
25:31possible.
25:32This is more important.
25:33You're in serious trouble you are.
25:35Are you waiting as well?
25:37No.
25:38Finally, Kelvin manages to get Jenny out of the office and into the waiting ambulance.
25:44I think her colleagues were fantastic.
25:50I mean they identified it immediately.
25:52They didn't even see if she recovered.
25:54They went on the phone and dialed 999 straight away which is fantastic.
25:57I mean I've been to cases in the past where people have left it for quite some time thinking
26:02oh it'll get better, don't worry about it.
26:04And then by that time it's too late.
26:06Jenny will be taken to the Landoc Hospital for further tests.
26:13Hospital scans confirm Jenny had suffered a mini stroke.
26:16She's been ordered to take a month off work and is on blood thinning medication but recovering
26:21well.
26:22She may not have won the lottery but Jenny counts herself lucky her quick thinking colleagues
26:27dialed 999.
26:28Ambulance service to full address of the emergency please.
26:38Exactly what's happened.
26:39How far did she fall?
26:40Is she breathing at the moment?
26:42And is she still on the floor?
26:44400 miles away in Scotland, ambulance control have received a call out to an elderly woman
26:49who's pressed her community alarm to signal she needs urgent medical help.
26:53Stay in the line, the ambulance has been arranged.
26:55With no other information the call is treated as an emergency.
26:59And paramedic Mari is sent to the ladies home in Glasgow's East End.
27:06And in her rapid response vehicle she speeds through the city streets.
27:14We are at a sheltered housing complex for a wee lady who's pulled her community alarm
27:20and has shouted that she needs an ambulance.
27:22There's no other information.
27:24Mari knows exactly where she's going.
27:27It's not the first time she's been called out to the elderly patient Annie and her previous
27:31visit was a memorable one.
27:33I was called recently to Annie's house to discover a river of blood running out of her
27:39door.
27:40We forced entry to discover that there was nobody in the house.
27:43Her leg ulcer had burst and she had been taken to hospital by another crew.
27:47But unfortunately that hadn't been passed on to the warden.
27:51Quite rightly panicked when they saw the blood.
27:54This time there's no blood.
27:56But there's no answer at 79 year old Annie's door either.
27:59Annie can you open the door?
28:01Experienced Mari knows not to panic.
28:08That's a girl. Come and open the door for me pet. It's the ambulance.
28:12Annie is alive and conscious but it's a struggle for her to get to the door.
28:16You're all right sweetheart. Just take your time. There we go. Hello. It's the ambulance.
28:26Sorry?
28:27It's the ambulance. Did you phone?
28:29It's the ambulance.
28:30And you come. You come in. Right what's happening with your pet?
28:35The pain's on the chest. Is that bad?
28:38Yep. And how long have you had that?
28:41All day.
28:43All day? Let's get a wee look at what's going on with you.
28:48Have you got a cough?
28:50Yeah.
28:51Annie is on medication for a severe chest infection and Mari wants to assess if it's her existing
28:56condition or a new heart problem that's causing the pain.
28:59What we'll do is we'll pop a wee bit of oxygen on you.
29:02Oxygen can help reduce stress on a patient's heart.
29:05Next, Mari does an ECG test. It reveals an irregularity in Annie's heart rate.
29:11Have you ever been told that you've got an irregular heartbeat?
29:14Yeah.
29:15Is it normally your breathing that you go to hospital for?
29:18Well, is it my non-breathing? Your non-breathing, that's a brilliant way of describing it, isn't it?
29:26Mari decides Annie needs to be readmitted to hospital.
29:29They might send you some good-looking men, what do you think?
29:32To take you up to the hospital.
29:34While they wait for an ambulance, Mari keeps Annie's spirits up by chatting about her last visit.
29:38How's your leg? Your ulcer?
29:42I'm glad that's not burst tonight, because the last time it bled it was quite impressive.
29:48I came to your house later on that day and the blood was running out the door.
29:52That's right.
29:53I'm really sorry about your door, it was me that broke it.
29:55Yeah.
29:56I'm sorry.
29:59Told you they'd send you two good-looking men.
30:02This is Annie.
30:03She's basically got difficulty breathing.
30:05She's been treated just now for a chest infection.
30:08She's also got, see that ulcer there?
30:10That's the one that caused all the problem the last time.
30:12Oh, right.
30:13And literally it was like a butcher shop in here.
30:16I don't think I've seen that much blood in a long time.
30:19Before she leaves, Mari removes Annie's community alarm.
30:22This one, I'm going to take it off, but I'm going to press it again to tell them that we're taking you to hospital and nobody puts your door in.
30:29Don't go on about that and I'll kick the person.
30:34We'll pay you.
30:37Not the door.
30:38Please.
30:39We'll pay you lots of money.
30:41Annie, I thought we were friends.
30:47Annie's been taken to Glasgow's Royal Infirmary Hospital to undergo further tests.
30:52She does need to go to hospital to have her chest checked and also to make sure that the heart rate and the heart rhythm that she's got tonight is an old thing and not a new thing.
31:09She's on quite a lot of medication that would suggest that that's her normal heart rhythm, but it's best to have it checked.
31:17Annie's chest pains were monitored in hospital and she was kept in for treatment to improve her breathing.
31:32She's now back home.
31:36My next shift, the Welsh capital, Cardiff. The time, 5pm.
31:41I'm off to rendezvous at the city's Blackweir station with paramedics Geoff and Rob.
31:47Geoff has been with the Welsh Ambulance Service for 25 years.
31:52And technician Rob served with them for 18 years.
32:01It's an unnerving start.
32:04We're going to an 11 month old baby and this is a red one call, which is the absolute most serious, means immediate life threatening.
32:13And a baby who's holding his breath and turning blue.
32:19Now, whether it's holding his breath on purpose or whether it's a case of stopping breathing, we don't know.
32:26But there is a rapid response vehicle that has got there.
32:29Is there any kind of update?
32:30I've just asked for a now and they haven't received an update yet.
32:35Still a case of wait and see, I'm afraid.
32:38Who's going from here, mate?
32:39We're just going to have to wait and see what we find when we get there.
32:42We've just got to, just got to get there.
32:45Arriving at the house, the tension nearly gets the better of me.
32:50Nobody's come out to greet us and I brace myself.
32:56Coming up, we head through an open door to discover what's happened to our 11 month old patients.
33:01Hello?
33:10I'm on an ambulance emergency call out with paramedics Geoff and Rob in Cardiff.
33:15A baby has stopped breathing and turned blue.
33:17I can't help but fear the worst.
33:20There's been no update from the rapid response unit already on scene
33:23and their silence could mean bad news.
33:25Hello?
33:32Thankfully, we are greeted with the relieving sight of a fully conscious 11 month old baby, Sam,
33:38sitting happily on his mother Marley's lap.
33:40Hello, who's this little friend?
33:42This is Sam.
33:44How handsome are you?
33:47But less than half an hour ago, the mood in this house was very different.
33:51His daddy had him in his arms and he was just holding his breath,
33:56and holding his breath, and holding his breath, and his eyes were rolling
33:59and we think that he's managed to knock himself out.
34:02He passed out by a whole year.
34:04Yeah, but he has, he's come round now.
34:07Rapid response paramedic Gio was first to the scene.
34:10When I arrived, he was alert and conscious but he will already remember
34:13now it is, what's all this fast?
34:15Who are all these people? Yeah.
34:17It's fine for an 11 month old, he's behaving like one.
34:19Yeah.
34:20His breathing is fine.
34:21Is that like a little cry and stuff and then he held his breath?
34:24Yeah, yeah, yeah.
34:25And knocked himself out.
34:26Right, okay.
34:27Basically, at that age, they don't understand what they're doing.
34:29Right.
34:30Seeing a baby hold his breath till they fall unconscious must be terrifying.
34:34But when they pass out, they automatically start breathing again.
34:38It's very common and not dangerous.
34:40Yeah, but I just let you run just in case things were...
34:43Right.
34:44And then you had to take him to hospital to see us.
34:45Oh, that's fair.
34:46To free us up, Gio's got hold of a local GP.
34:49I spoke to the doctor.
34:51Yeah.
34:52He's quite happy to take a discharge of care.
34:55Oh, brilliant.
34:56All I can advise you is if there's anything further or colder out of ours,
35:01just call us.
35:02I'm sure it will be all right.
35:03Yeah, thank you.
35:07In Scotland's biggest city, Glasgow, paramedics Craig and Chris are on their way to the scene of a reported traffic collision.
35:16The majority of road accidents reported to the police occur in built-up areas
35:20and on roads with a speed limit of 30 miles per hour or under.
35:23So, like any other city medics, Craig and Chris are used to dealing with the aftermath of car crashes.
35:30Yeah, we've been tasked to a two-car road accident in a fairly quiet residential area.
35:37It's on a main road, but it's in a 30-mile-an-hour zone, so I'm hoping it's not going to be anything too serious.
35:41At the scene, they find paramedic George, who's already arrived in a rapid response car.
35:50He's treating the only casualty of the crash, Debbie, in the back seat.
35:55George?
35:57How's it going?
35:59This is Debbie.
36:01Where was she sitting? Passenger?
36:03Driver.
36:05We'll just take you into the ambulance and we'll sit down and we'll get a better look at your leg
36:08and then we'll decide what we're going to do from there, OK?
36:11Just hold onto the door.
36:13There we go.
36:15We'll get in there and get into the warrant.
36:18Even a collision at a relatively low speed can cause quite a jolt,
36:22especially if, like Debbie, you're not expecting it.
36:26What about your knee or anything? You've not had your knee off the dashboard or anything?
36:31Is it kind of twisted it a wee bit? Right, no bother.
36:34I'm just going to pop your shoe off and have a look at your leg, OK?
36:36Tell me if anything I do hurts, OK? Just let me know.
36:39You don't tie your shoelaces?
36:42Move your feet around.
36:44Push your toes against me.
36:46Does that hurt you when you do that? It does.
36:48OK-dog.
36:49Does it sort of touch?
36:52Look at the muscle.
36:54Move it across the top of your bone.
36:56Is that all right?
36:58You feel me touching your toes?
36:59You're quite shaky, obviously.
37:00You get frightened and you're freezing cold.
37:02It doesn't help matters much.
37:04Craig is hopeful that it's just the shock of the accident that's had a lasting impact on Debbie.
37:09We've had a look at Debbie's leg.
37:12She has no tenderness over her bone.
37:13What we want to see is whether she's able to walk on it and if that's the case then she can self-manage the treatment of it.
37:20If she's not going to be able to weight bear then it's going to have to be attracted to the hospital.
37:23But we'll see what we can do, OK?
37:25Don't be a martyr. If it hurts, it hurts.
37:26So let's see what that is. Swing your feet.
37:29Her foot may be sore but Craig doesn't feel that Debbie's discomfort warrants a visit to the emergency department.
37:35How does it feel?
37:37Right, set yourself down again.
37:39What do you want to do with it?
37:41As I say, it's not anything that they're going to x-ray in the hospital.
37:45From the movement you've got there's no risk at all of any real bone damage.
37:51They say the pain's all at the back and in the muscle.
37:53For Debbie's mum, Carol and paramedic George, this whole scene is a case of deja vu.
38:00There's a history, I was involved with mum across the road for an RTC as well.
38:05Oh, right.
38:07There's nothing about the female drivers in your family?
38:10No, no, no, no.
38:12It was somebody who walked in front of the patient's mum.
38:15Was yours just last week?
38:17Yeah.
38:19Who's next week?
38:20Oh, no, please, no.
38:22I don't know.
38:24The funny thing is, the lady who walked in front of her, I knew her.
38:28I've been for her before, about a month previously, COPD.
38:33You're a jinx. That's what it is.
38:35The family will brave the road once more so that Debbie can be driven home to rest stop.
38:39She'll take ibuprofen to reduce any possible swelling.
38:44So she's going to manage it herself for the time being, but she has the advice that if things don't get better, she can always seek further help if necessary.
38:51In Wales, I'm back on shift, but this time I'll be taken to the air with the charity funded Wales Air Ambulance.
39:04With a large portion of the Welsh rural community living far from a major hospital, their role is a vital one.
39:12Their helicopters can be launched within three minutes, and they can be anywhere in Wales within 20 minutes.
39:16As I rendezvous with its Swansea-based crew, a call comes in for us to attend an emergency at a primary school.
39:25We've lifted from Fairwood, and we'll be arriving at seeing him for Talbot in about three minutes.
39:30So that looks like an angulated fracture.
39:33And when you say angulated, it's going to be set off at a deformity.
39:41So she's got a deformity.
39:42A paramedic for 11 years, Chris has been with the Air Ambulance for one year.
39:47He's partnered by Ross, a paramedic for 14 years, 11 spent on the helicopters.
39:53Flying us is former Army pilot Grant, who's been with the service for three years.
40:02We're at the school within minutes, and my shoulder camera captures the action as we are led through the school's busy canteen.
40:08The woman who's fallen over, Lynne, works as a dinner lady.
40:15I'd love to put your knee up there.
40:17What did you see on it?
40:18Was it your knee and no other aches or pains?
40:20You didn't put it in there.
40:22Are you trying to walk in or get an appetite?
40:24I'm not talking about this.
40:27I wish I should have my legs.
40:28Yeah.
40:29So what actually happened?
40:31It's just a big idea.
40:33It's like the...
40:34Yeah, do.
40:35It's been done up there.
40:37It's been done up there.
40:38It's been done up there.
40:39It's been done up there.
40:40Oh, no.
40:41We're going to get a little turn, Lynne, OK?
40:42All right.
40:43And we'll try and sit you up.
40:46Have a good day, ladies.
40:48Lynne's concerned husband, Doug, has rushed from work to be at his wife's side.
40:51And you were at work and we found out that this has gone over.
40:56I bet that was quite good.
40:58It was, yeah.
40:59It was, yeah.
41:00It was, yeah.
41:01After checking carefully over Lynne's ankle, Chris can't see any sign of an obvious break.
41:05He's hopeful she may have only twisted it.
41:08Do you want to see if you can stand?
41:10A twisted ankle can be extremely painful at first and often mistaken for a more serious injury.
41:16Right, take a little step to it.
41:18You know, you've had a nice slip, haven't you?
41:20I'm just going to make sure.
41:25The fact that Lynne can walk is a good sign.
41:31You didn't tell her if I could be sitting in all of that, have I?
41:33Oh, there's the spaghetti hoops.
41:35You didn't tell me that.
41:37Kids I'm watching.
41:38You'll never know.
41:41She won't need to come with us in the helicopter.
41:43But to be on the safe side, Chris suggests that husband, Doug, drives her to the local minor injuries unit for another examination.
41:50So I'm really lucky.
41:51Nice to meet you.
41:53Yeah.
41:54Well we're getting round the open.
41:56Well, we got round the open.
41:58A round of applause.
41:59I guess this is for getting the hoops, not plan anything.
42:00We just want to see connect.
42:01Okay, then.
42:02Our visit has made the school kids excitable.
42:04While the team ready the helicopter for take-off, I volunteer to keep them amused.
42:14Hi. Good afternoon, everybody.
42:17We've come here today because one of your dinner ladies had a little accident with some spaghetti hoops.
42:23Luckily, everything is absolutely fine and she's going to be much, much better.
42:28This here is a little helicopter bear.
42:31Now, usually, the only people who get to have these bears are children who go into the helicopter.
42:38But today, we're going to present this bear to you to just say thank you very much for being so well-behaved and for being so lovely.
42:46Is that OK?
42:47Yeah!
42:49All right, then, enjoy the rest of your day and thank you very much.
42:53I'll hand this to your head teacher.
42:55Thank you very much.
43:01I'll hand this to your head teacher.
43:03I'll hand this to your head teacher.
43:04I'll hand this to your head teacher.
43:05I'll hand this to your head teacher.
43:06I'll hand this to your head teacher.
43:07I'll hand this to your head teacher.
43:08I'll hand this to your head teacher.
43:09I'll hand this to your head teacher.
43:10I'll hand this to your head teacher.
43:11I'll hand this to your head teacher.
43:12I'll hand this to your head teacher.
43:13I'll hand this to your head teacher.
43:14I'll be in my part, your information.
Comments