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00:01Ambulance service, is the patient breathing?
00:04Laurie's just tipped over. I'm just in shock.
00:08The girl's followed over and cut her head open.
00:11I've had really bad chest pains.
00:14We're spewing up to my throat.
00:16Righty-ho, let's get them bad boys on.
00:19West Midlands Ambulance Service looks after almost 6 million people.
00:24I love the fact that not just every shift's different, every job's different.
00:28Do you remember everything that's happened?
00:31It looks like you're having a heart attack.
00:34Saving lives and making a difference every call out.
00:38Is she breathing normally?
00:41Water variability of how we met.
00:44Embedded with eight emergency crews.
00:47Could be anything, couldn't it?
00:48Okay, okay.
00:50Filming simultaneously across the region.
00:54Time is everything in our job.
00:56Just relax, relax for me.
00:57Can you open your mouth as wide as you can?
01:01Capturing life.
01:02How's your vision?
01:03You got it?
01:04On the front line.
01:06I go to work every day and I make a difference.
01:20It's Sian on Brogan on 6.30s today, over.
01:24Received.
01:25Are you good to go?
01:26We are good to go, yeah.
01:30What have you got in that massive bag?
01:32Everything.
01:33Breakfast, dinner, hairbrush, make-up.
01:36Why have you brought us all that?
01:37You never know when you need to touch it up.
01:39Once I'm done in the morning, that's it.
01:43Whatever happens, happens.
01:44Whatever melts off.
01:45Yeah.
01:46Just goes.
01:47I need to touch up my nose on my break.
01:49Right.
01:50Right, let's go.
02:00What is your go to lunch?
02:02Have you ever had cucumber and tomato sauce?
02:06I don't like tomato sauce.
02:08Do you like mayo?
02:09No.
02:09Do you like perinase?
02:11No.
02:12Do you like burger sauce?
02:14No.
02:16Tuna with chopped up onion and beetroot.
02:19Oh, I love you.
02:20Banging.
02:21I think beetroot makes you poo a funny colour.
02:24You know, pasta and sauce?
02:26Yeah.
02:26I'll put some in a wrap with some cheese.
02:29Honestly, try it, it's good.
02:31I think I'll pass, thank you.
02:33Yes.
02:45I think we are like swans.
02:47Is that the right one?
02:48Swans, ducks, geese.
02:50What are they?
02:50Nice and smooth on the water.
02:52Oh, yeah.
02:53But the legs are going underneath.
02:55It's just drowning.
02:56Yeah.
02:57I think that's us.
02:57Not a good front.
02:58I think that describes a barometric.
03:00Yeah.
03:00I think it's ducks.
03:02No, swans.
03:03Swan.
03:03I think it's swans.
03:04I think it's swans.
03:05You be a swan.
03:06I'll be a duck.
03:07Okay.
03:08Quack.
03:09Oh, of course.
03:12Wait, you do it.
03:16I don't know what that was.
03:18It's like the duck's been stepped on.
03:20I said the other day about I'll get off my shoebox now.
03:24Soap-op-scented.
03:25Yeah.
03:26I get all my sayings wrong, honestly.
03:33Nine, nine, nine.
03:35We've got a 24-year-old female.
03:38Fitting within the last 12 hours,
03:40she's currently under investigations.
03:42The last two days, the fits are getting worse.
03:46We get this call.
03:47It stated the patient was having a seizure.
03:50So you're instantly thinking, what kind of seizure is it?
03:53How long is it lasting?
03:54Are they still fitting?
03:56It's a job that we have to get to very, very quickly.
04:00Well, hopefully she doesn't have any more seizures whilst we're with her.
04:08Hello.
04:09Where are we going?
04:10Just into the evening room.
04:12Amazing.
04:12All right.
04:14What's your name, lovely?
04:15Georgia.
04:16Georgia.
04:16My name's Kyra Nick.
04:18I used to be top.
04:19Right, then.
04:19Am I right to do some observations on you whilst we have a chat?
04:23No.
04:23Can I have your arm out of this?
04:24Is that right?
04:2724-year-old Georgia has been having seizures that are becoming more frequent.
04:32After her third one today, Mum Lorraine called for help.
04:37Right.
04:37Her head does start to...
04:38Yeah.
04:38And then you see her eyes doing weird things.
04:42And then it's like...
04:43And then her hands kind of crawl all up.
04:45OK.
04:46And she's kind of doing that.
04:48OK.
04:48They're getting worse, but they were quite basic ones.
04:51They were quite, like, just eye flickering.
04:53OK.
04:54And my hands had tense up a little bit.
04:56The last few weeks to get in pretty much every day, like, I've smashed my head a few times.
05:00I've done it again today.
05:01I've smashed up this.
05:02I seem to go this way sort of thing when I'm falling.
05:04OK.
05:05I'm scared for my own safety.
05:07The investigations that you've had, like, are you under neurology at the minute?
05:10Yeah, I saw them a few weeks ago for the first time.
05:13Which I haven't had any investigation.
05:14I haven't had it.
05:14Right.
05:14I'm waiting for an MRI.
05:166.1 and then 36.2.
05:18So, they're all good.
05:19So, all of your observations are good.
05:22I'm not concerned about any of them.
05:24But, obviously, I'm not the one that feels how you feel.
05:27And if this is causing you a massive amount of concern today...
05:30Oh, it's scary.
05:31Yeah.
05:32So, we do have the option of going to A&E.
05:35More probably just you'd be there as a safe place in case it does happen again.
05:39Are you going to be here?
05:42Yeah.
05:42Yeah, I'm not going to be.
05:43She's not going to be left alone or anything?
05:44Because that's the only concern, is if you're going to be on your own.
05:48I don't think she's going to need to run.
05:51Yeah, I don't know.
05:54So, you put your legs up on the sofa.
05:56You don't deserve that pillow.
06:00It's probably the stress of all this as well.
06:01It doesn't help, you know.
06:02She's obviously really concerned about it.
06:05You're doing well.
06:06She suddenly went into another seizure.
06:09We applied oxygen and made sure she was safe,
06:11as we don't know how long this is going to last for.
06:26If you were a food, you would be chicken nuggets and chips
06:30on separate sides of the plane.
06:34You are consistent.
06:36Always know what you're getting.
06:37Yeah, you always know what you're getting.
06:40That is fair.
06:42Who doesn't like chicken nuggets?
06:44I feel like there's something wrong with you
06:45if you don't like chicken nuggets.
06:46It's a safe food, and ultimately, unless you're vegetarian.
06:50Fake nuggets.
06:52What's something that has, like, a lot going on?
06:57Pad Thai.
06:58I don't know what that is.
06:59Stir fry.
07:00Because you've got a lot going on.
07:03Because you're just a bit chaotic.
07:05Do you know what is chaotic?
07:08A bit chaotic, a lot going on at once,
07:11but full of flavour.
07:24Ambulance service, is the patient breathing?
07:26He is, yes.
07:27What's happened?
07:29We were at work.
07:31The girl's followed over and cut her head open.
07:33Is the patient conscious and awake?
07:35They're drifting, sort of, faintly.
07:38Have they lost any blood?
07:40Yeah.
07:41Ten centimetres of wood.
07:46We are going to a 51-year-old female
07:49who has sustained a head injury.
07:51OK.
07:53She's unable to get up from the floor.
07:56She tripped and fell, hit her head off metal.
08:00OK.
08:01She has slurred speech following the head injury.
08:04Could have a bit of a concussion, then?
08:07It sounded like quite a significant head injury.
08:09I was worried about damage to the brain.
08:11It sounded quite nasty.
08:15It sounded like a bit of a concussion.
08:15Hiya.
08:17Hello.
08:17I'm Jack.
08:18I've got Sharnie with me.
08:19Hello.
08:19What have you done?
08:21Head-butted the step.
08:23Sounds like a really silly question.
08:25Is there any pain in your head?
08:29Slightly. Slightly.
08:30Were you not too unconscious at any point?
08:32No? Fully conscious, threw up?
08:3751-year-old Tammy tripped over steps at work,
08:41hitting her head on some metal trim.
08:44You don't sound confused, I don't think you are.
08:47You're a compass-mentous, no.
08:49You are where you are, but you've told me what's happened.
08:51Yeah. Perfect.
08:53Pop that on your finger for me, if that's OK.
08:56I'm going to be honest, you've won yourself a trip up to the hospital.
08:59Your head will probably need glued.
09:03I've been off on the fringe.
09:05Oh, no. Don't be daft.
09:07Have you not seen what they can do with glue these days?
09:09Can you just hold a little bit of light pressure on it there?
09:12Perfect.
09:14Your fingers are freezing.
09:15Yeah, it must have had a bit of cold.
09:17It is a bit cold. You're next to the open door, isn't it?
09:19It's actually the fat that I'm sitting before.
09:22Anywhere else hurt other than your head?
09:24My neck hurts too fat.
09:25OK.
09:26Can I have a feel of your neck?
09:27Yeah.
09:30Any pain when I'm pressing?
09:32No. No.
09:33Would you mind if Sharni took a photo of your head
09:35before I give it a cleaning address?
09:38I take photos of wounds to guide hospital treatment.
09:42When I looked at her injury, I could see that it was down to her skull.
09:46It needed some serious stitching.
09:48Lovely, thank you.
10:01Shine a light in your eye.
10:06My lashes responded well.
10:08In Stoke, paramedics Nick and Kyra are with Georgia, who's having a seizure.
10:17Well done, Georgia.
10:24Are you back with us?
10:27It's all right.
10:28OK, ducky.
10:29It's all right.
10:30It's all right.
10:31It's all right.
10:31It's all right, sweetheart.
10:33Would you say that's about the right time?
10:36Couple minutes when it's just one.
10:39And that is pretty typical of what's been going on?
10:42OK.
10:44You're doing so, so well.
10:46OK.
10:46Let's take these off.
10:47Your mum's here with you, OK?
10:51I'm going to take you to hospital.
10:53Hopefully get you feeling a bit better.
10:56Oh, bless you.
10:58One, two, three.
11:00That's it.
11:01And then just do your best to just try and relax, OK?
11:07Just try.
11:08It's easier said than done.
11:10Are we happy to come off the oxygen for now?
11:13The reason we decided to take Georgia to hospital
11:15is because mum had explained that she'd been having a seizure every day.
11:19She'd had more than one whilst we were with her.
11:22This can't keep happening.
11:23It's dangerous.
11:24So, therefore, she needs to be checked out.
11:27There we go.
11:31You're doing so, so well.
11:33OK, ducky.
11:34Stand clear.
11:35Ramp is in operation.
11:37It's all right, ducky.
11:39You're all right, Pidge.
11:41That's it.
11:42Absolutely perfect.
11:43You stay where you are, OK?
11:44Because you're never so well.
11:52Your mum's following up behind us, OK?
11:56Georgia, if you feel like you're going to have another one,
11:58please let me know if you can, all right?
12:04We're just putting the sirens on to get through the traffic.
12:09Sorry?
12:11Another one.
12:16OK?
12:18Can you squeeze this hand?
12:20I'm going to put this back on your face.
12:23Just going to lift your head up.
12:39Can you squeeze this hand?
12:42Can you open your eyes again?
12:45Georgia.
12:46Can you open your eyes for me?
12:48Amazing.
12:55Can you open your eyes for me?
12:57Can you open your eyes for me?
12:57OK, we'll take you in now, lovely.
12:59OK, please.
12:59Just a couple of little bumps, darling, all right?
13:03At Royal Stoke University Hospital, doctors will investigate why the frequency of Georgia's seizures has increased so dramatically.
13:20That wasn't very nice for mum to witness.
13:24Obviously, it sounds like it's been going on for a while, but it was good that we actually got to
13:28see what was happening with her.
13:29So when she does go and see neurology, they've got a better idea of what is actually happening.
13:35Yeah.
13:36It's never nice to see your kids go through stuff and feel like you can't do anything.
13:49This is the exact same as what you've got on now, but with a little bit of water on it
13:54as well, a bit of salty water.
13:56In Stoke, paramedic Shani and technician Jack are with veterinary nurse Tammy.
14:03She's fallen at work and badly cut her head.
14:05If you just keep a hold of that on there now, I'd go all daft and start bandaging you around
14:11the head.
14:12But to be totally honest with you, you holding is the best thing for it.
14:17Can I just have a quick look in your eyes, sweetheart?
14:20Perfect.
14:22Perfect.
14:22Can you follow the end of this pen with your eyes?
14:29Lovely.
14:30Perfect.
14:31So you're obviously going to have to go, I'm not going to beat around the bush with you.
14:35It's going to need closed somehow, some way.
14:38So you've got yourself half a day off work.
14:40Tammy needed to go to hospital due to the risk of a concussion and the severe soft tissue damage to
14:46her head.
14:47She needed some treatment in hospital to help that heal.
14:50I'm off on holiday for five days after today.
14:52Oh, come on.
14:53Where are you going?
14:54I'm just filling a skip tomorrow.
14:56I've got a skip arriving at seven o'clock tomorrow morning.
14:59I don't know if he'll be doing that.
15:00Well, maybe.
15:01He didn't have to do all this to get out of that.
15:06How have you been on your feet, sweetheart?
15:08I'm fine on my feet.
15:08Fine on your feet.
15:09Because we can get out through that door, can't we?
15:12Yeah, we can.
15:12Yeah.
15:13Perfect.
15:13Let's have a toddle out.
15:18We can try and get your pain under control.
15:22Because I'm going to pop a little needle in you.
15:24A little scratch.
15:28To help with the pain, Jack inserts a cannula into Tammy's arm.
15:33This allows liquid paracetamol to be given intravenously.
15:37So do you guys cannulate animals, then?
15:40Yes.
15:40All the time.
15:41That's got to be so much more difficult.
15:43Oh, my God.
15:44Cunals don't tend to bite you.
15:46I don't want you to do something.
15:47I hope you're not going to start biting me, Tammy.
15:50No, you are.
15:51Oh, good.
15:59Pain's right, to be honest.
16:01It's just me neck feels stiff.
16:04It's going through the winter.
16:05You hurt any piece of you and your immediate reactions
16:08to, like, seize yourself up.
16:10Yeah.
16:10I think that's exactly what I've done.
16:11Yeah.
16:15I'm going to read the truck photo after crossing.
16:17At Royal Stoke University Hospital,
16:20doctors will close Tammy's head wound
16:22and check for any signs of concussion.
16:25We'll find your nice seat and then we'll get handed over.
16:34It's an impressive head injury that was.
16:37It was, wasn't it?
16:37She got it right down to her skull.
16:39I really didn't expect this to be quite so big.
16:42Hopefully she can get it sorted because she's on holiday in a few days.
16:46She's empty the skit.
16:47Is that what she's doing?
16:48It's all the holidays for.
16:49Oh.
16:50Oh, that's Donny's doing.
17:07Do you know what your Donny's are?
17:08No.
17:08No.
17:09No.
17:09What do you mean?
17:10Your Donny's are your hands.
17:11Donny's?
17:12Yeah.
17:13It gives you Donny's.
17:14It's like, give me your hands.
17:14It gives you Donny's.
17:15Oh, that is actually disgusting though.
17:16Coming from something that's called a cob, a batch.
17:18A batch?
17:19That's normal.
17:20A batch.
17:20No, it's not mine.
17:20That is normal.
17:21A sausage batch.
17:22Bacon batch.
17:23It's a roll or a cob.
17:25A roll.
17:26Who are you?
17:27Gosh.
17:27I don't know.
17:28It's the way you said it.
17:29It's a roll.
17:30Roll.
17:30No, I did not say it like that.
17:31Roll.
17:32It's a roll.
17:33It's batch.
17:34No.
17:35It's definitely batch.
17:36Let's agree to disagree.
17:37Not right.
17:38There's some awful slang round here though.
17:40No, there's not.
17:41Albinya.
17:42Albinya.
17:43I would if I could but of course to Adele.
17:47That was so good.
17:50Yeah, so it's, I would if I could but of course to Adele.
17:58Oh, you can't do that so you don't do it.
18:05It's you can't do that so you don't do it.
18:09The fact I couldn't even understand what you were saying shows me you got it spot on.
18:21Ambulance service, is the patient breathing?
18:24Yes, the patient's breathing.
18:26He's got a hospital uniform on with his tag on his left arm.
18:32He's obviously let himself out.
18:34He's been sick.
18:36He's convulsing at the moment.
18:42Male adult fitting.
18:44And that is all the information we have?
18:47CM.
18:48Oh, okay.
18:49One, six, zero.
18:51Oh, there's already a crew here?
18:57A member of the public called 999 after seeing a man convulsing on the ground.
19:03A passing ambulance has also been flagged down.
19:06If you wouldn't mind just getting him up.
19:08Is that a right word?
19:09Oh, good.
19:12Stand up for us.
19:13You can't lie down there.
19:14Come on.
19:19You've been drinking?
19:22Yeah, you've been drinking.
19:23That makes sense.
19:24My first thought when I seen this patient was I recognised he had the hospital wristband and hospital clothing on.
19:30He had obviously been discharged from hospital and he'd had a few too many drinks.
19:35You tell us what's happened?
19:39Can you talk to me?
19:41When did you get discharged?
19:45What are we going to do with you, eh?
19:46What did you drink?
19:48What was it?
19:49Gin.
19:49Gin.
19:50How much?
19:52Any of you drank that whole bottle in, like, one go?
19:55And where were you drinking it?
19:57Can you please leave me alone?
20:00Leave you alone?
20:01Yeah.
20:01Are you sure you're okay, though, because you're being sick quite a lot?
20:04Yeah.
20:04Is there any way we can help you?
20:06No, that's fine.
20:07No?
20:08I don't really want to leave you here.
20:09Is there any chance we could get you somewhere to stay?
20:11Have you got a residence?
20:14Do you mind if we maybe get you into homeless shelter or anything like that?
20:18This patient was suffering the effects of, basically, a hangover.
20:23He was very sick, he was very tired and he was very nauseous.
20:27And that's kind of when me and Brogan both looked at each other and thought,
20:31he's not really safe to leave out here on the street,
20:34because a lot of people are concerned for him and so are we, really.
20:37Do you want to go somewhere to have a rest?
20:40Have you got anywhere that you've used before around here that you'd like to go to?
20:45Anywhere.
20:46Others need to bed rest.
20:48Cheers.
20:49Thank you very much, guys.
20:50Thank you very much.
20:52As the only problem appears to be too much alcohol,
20:55the other ambulance can head off.
20:58Would you let us do some checks on you?
21:00Like your blood pressure and things like that?
21:03Yeah?
21:04Do you feel dizzy at all?
21:09It felt like we were making some progress.
21:12He was speaking to us, he was engaging with us
21:14and then he just put himself on the floor for no reason.
21:18Don't put yourself on the floor like that, please get up for us.
21:31To see what life is really like on the front line,
21:35we're following eight paramedic crews as they respond to emergencies across the West Midlands.
21:43If this is how you are and you're not stable on your feet,
21:47anywhere that we try and get you into for homelessness support,
21:50they're not going to accept you because you're a danger to yourself at the moment.
21:54In Birmingham, paramedic Sean and technician Brogan are with a patient who was found lying in the street wearing hospital
22:02issue pyjamas.
22:04Turn your head to the side.
22:06And he's just thrown himself back on the ground.
22:10I know you're reacting, come on, let's get you up.
22:14I thought he was clearly faking being unconscious and faking falling on the floor.
22:19We knew that boy, he put his hands out and he rolled himself onto the floor.
22:23That is not any actions of a man that has fallen unconscious.
22:27Come on, we don't want to break our backs, all right?
22:30Come on, sit up with us.
22:31Come on.
22:32Sit up.
22:33Sit up.
22:34Why did you throw yourself on the floor?
22:36Why do you do that?
22:37We're just trying to help you.
22:39We're trying to get you a place to stay.
22:42No, please leave me.
22:44No, we can't leave you like this.
22:46No, we can't.
22:47Because we're just going to get called back.
22:48If you're on the floor in public, acting to be unconscious,
22:52we're going to come right back.
22:53So what we're going to do now is we'll just take you to hospital.
22:56Because in this state, with how much you've drank,
22:58there's no way you can keep yourself straight on the streets.
23:01Yeah.
23:02And also, a homeless shelter won't have you.
23:06Are you going to get up yourself?
23:10Come on then.
23:11Just on this stretcher.
23:12Just here.
23:17Right, bump.
23:19You don't have a bag.
23:21You don't have one with a...
23:23There wasn't one here.
23:24Here.
23:25Here we go.
23:31There we go.
23:3638, but it's very warm.
23:38Yeah.
23:39What are we going to do with you, eh?
23:42We need to get into a homeless shelter.
23:45Hey, I don't know where your bag is.
23:48No, we haven't got your bag.
23:49We don't have it.
23:50Your bag's not there.
23:51You must have...
23:52You must have lost it.
23:54Your bag's not out there.
23:55We had a good check.
23:56No.
23:56Where are you going?
23:59It's not there.
24:00Are you going to come to hospital with us?
24:02No.
24:03No?
24:05Right, OK.
24:08This is where you were found and your bag isn't here.
24:12The patient insisted on leaving the ambulance.
24:15He has the capacity to make his own decisions,
24:18but if we leave him the way he is,
24:21someone else is going to call an ambulance
24:23and we're going to be back at square one.
24:24He must have left it somewhere, I suppose.
24:28Shall we take you to hospital?
24:30So, what are you going to do now?
24:31Where are you going to go if you don't want to come to hospital?
24:33Here.
24:34So, you do want to go to hospital?
24:36Yeah.
24:36Don't like that, then, because we're going to go now.
24:38No, no, no.
24:39No, it's OK.
24:40No, we're going to go now.
24:41We've got to go to hospital now.
24:42We can't wait for you to have a cigarette.
24:43We've got emergencies to go to.
24:46All right.
24:47Come on, then.
24:48Let's go.
24:50When the patient said that he wanted us to wait for him to have a cigarette,
24:53I thought he must be joking and that he couldn't be serious.
24:58So, if you pop your legs back up for me,
25:01I'll pop some belts over you.
25:05Having been persuaded to forego his cigarette,
25:08Sean and Brogan head round the corner
25:10to the Midland Metropolitan Hospital.
25:13So, I'll speak to the nurse when we get to hospital in a second
25:17and I'll see if she can sort out some accommodation for you,
25:20but you need to stop drinking as much because if...
25:24I know you can't help it, but...
25:26Leave me alone.
25:33We're heading for those doors just down there.
25:37This is the patient's second visit to hospital today.
25:40In A&E, medical staff will watch over him until he sobers up
25:45and can then be referred to a homeless shelter.
25:47MUSIC PLAYS
26:03OK, did she actually, like, faint or black out?
26:06Just try and keep yourself as calm as possible, OK?
26:08We're going to rearrange some help.
26:09MUSIC PLAYS
26:12West Midlands Ambulance Service
26:13receives over 4,000 calls every single day.
26:17It's up to the call assessors
26:18to decide which ones to prioritise.
26:22The hardest part of the job, I would say,
26:24is because you're on the phone,
26:25you can't see anything that's going on,
26:28so you're just relying on what the patient
26:30or the caller is telling you,
26:31and it's not a job that you can guess at.
26:33PHONE RINGS
26:34Ambulance Service, is the patient breathing?
26:37Um, I don't know.
26:38The lorry's just tipped over.
26:41Do you know where the parking ride is?
26:42Um, no, I'm not familiar.
26:44So what can you see from around there?
26:46Um, the overturned lorry.
26:48I'm literally, I'm at the roundabout.
26:50It's down the line, all right?
26:52Yeah, sorry, I'm just in shock.
26:54No, I can only imagine you if that's down the line.
26:57Supervisor, 315Z,
26:58we just need to get the address for this emergency, please.
27:01Hello, Mr. Supervisor.
27:02I'm just coming in to the call to help my colleague.
27:04What is the full address of the emergency, please?
27:09I don't have the address.
27:11If there is a delay in the address,
27:13then we'll bring the supervisor in to assist.
27:15And the reason why they assist is
27:16because they have different mapping skills and tools
27:19where they can find an address a lot easier and a lot quicker.
27:23How old is the patient? Can you see the patient?
27:26No, I can't. I'm at the back of the lorry.
27:28OK, I was just at the roundabout as it happened.
27:30So all the help has been arranged, OK?
27:33Now, on the road, OK, it's all blocked.
27:35Is there any oil spillages, anything at all?
27:39Not that I can see, no.
27:40OK, so the lorry's overturned.
27:41Has it hit any of the vehicles?
27:44Not that I can see.
27:45There's a lot of traffic building up.
27:47No, I can only imagine, sweetheart.
27:48Just stay where you are.
27:49It's not safe to stay in the car for me, all right?
27:52Yeah, I am staying in the car.
27:54The lady was in the car with her children.
27:56Because it had overturned,
27:57it wasn't safe for her to go near that patient.
27:59I totally understand that,
28:00and that's why we don't send them over.
28:03But it limits what we can do
28:06and the information that we get told.
28:09Has anyone got out the lorry at all?
28:10Can you see anyone getting out of the vehicle or anything like that?
28:14Not that I can see, no.
28:16OK.
28:16No, that wasn't the driver, baby.
28:18That's just people trying to help, sweetheart.
28:20Now, sweetheart, of course, all I can do,
28:22just because we've got a lot of calls coming in for this,
28:24that's fine, we are coming as fast as we possibly can.
28:27Just stay exactly where you are,
28:29and like I said, we'll be there as soon as we can, all right?
28:32No, that's fine.
28:34I'm a little bit nervous as to how I'm going to, like,
28:37get home, if I'm honest.
28:38There's a lot of traffic and I'm a little bit scared to get out.
28:40No, I understand.
28:42When a call comes through to a call assessor,
28:44we have to take full responsibility
28:47until someone gets on scene.
28:49We have to make sure that everyone's safe on the road,
28:51the patient's safe,
28:53and we just have to try and act as fast as we can
28:56until someone else takes over
28:57to make sure everyone is safe on that scene.
29:00We've alerted everyone that needs to know, all right?
29:03Amazing. Thank you so much.
29:04No problem. Thanks for letting us know. Take care now.
29:06Thank you. Bye-bye. Cheers. Bye-bye.
29:09After 12 minutes, an ambulance arrived
29:12together with a paramedic officer and the fire service.
29:16The lorry driver was found to be uninjured
29:19and didn't need to go to hospital.
29:36I planted my chillies in the garden the other day.
29:38How's your radishes getting on?
29:40I bought some with me.
29:42Have you? Yeah.
29:44This is the first time I've seen you eat radishes in six years.
29:48I bought them purposely. I put on my shopping list, radish.
29:51I thought you were growing them.
29:53Yeah, I am growing them as well.
29:55But to prove to you that I like radishes...
29:59Oh, right, so this is a point scoring, isn't it?
30:01Yeah, yeah. You're trying to point score.
30:03How many radishes have you eaten since then?
30:07Um...
30:08I don't know. I must have bought a pack since then.
30:11One... You love radishes, though.
30:13You said you... Yeah, but I would never...
30:15I'd really have them in, like, a salad.
30:18Just admit...
30:19Try you don't like radishes.
30:21I really like...
30:22I was eating them as I was cutting them up.
30:32Ambulance, sir. This is the patient breathing.
30:35Yeah, yeah, I'm awake. Yeah, I'm ringing and burnt myself.
30:38How can I help? What's happened?
30:41I've just been on a bus, and I've had really bad chest pain,
30:45and I was struggling to breathe.
30:47Oh.
30:47And can you feel that chest pain right now as we speak?
30:49Yeah, I can still feel it.
30:51It was screwing up to my throat.
30:56We are going to a 41-year-old male with chest pain
31:01on the junction of the A34.
31:04Now, that leads me to believe he's in a car.
31:07Yeah.
31:07That's just my detective work.
31:09Well, he could not be. He could be on a dog walk.
31:12Could be on a bike.
31:13Or a bike.
31:15Or if I don't, we'll get there.
31:16I suppose with any call for a chest pain,
31:19you have to think the worst, like any job.
31:21So, I suppose you'd be thinking that he could be having
31:23a heart attack at the side of the road,
31:26and that could lead into a cardiac arrest.
31:30I cannot see him.
31:352-0-3.
31:380-3, guys.
31:40Yeah, we've driven along this road.
31:44Nobody's sort of flagged us down.
31:46Do we know, are we in a car?
31:47Are we on the side of the road?
31:49Where are we going?
31:530-3.
31:54I've just spoken to you.
31:55He is still in the area.
31:57He's wearing a black coat, blue jeans,
31:59and he's got a grey bag.
32:01Yep, that's all received.
32:04It can be quite frustrating when we can't find the patient,
32:07if they're out and about.
32:09That just delays time to treat and assess this patient.
32:12So, if they are critical, that's a waste of time that is valuable.
32:18Oh, look, there he is.
32:24There you go.
32:29You jump on.
32:30Sit yourself down.
32:32My name's Keira.
32:34Nice to meet you.
32:34This is Brooke.
32:35What can we do for you?
32:37I got onto the bus.
32:38You want to go back?
32:39I was on White College.
32:40Mm-hm.
32:40And, er, when I got on it, I just couldn't breathe.
32:43I can't.
32:43I can't.
32:44I can't.
32:45Pain was unbearable.
32:46And I couldn't breathe.
32:47OK.
32:48So, I'll go off the bus.
32:49And what time was that at?
32:51About 28, 25 minutes ago.
32:5441-year-old Welder Gareth called 999 when a sudden pain in his chest forced him to get off the
33:01bus.
33:03I've been through this before.
33:04Yeah?
33:04And have you had an ambulance out for it?
33:06It was in the middle of the night.
33:08Mm-hm.
33:09They put it through to 999.
33:10Mm-hm.
33:10And the times to get in the day after.
33:13But then they've done a lot of tests and everything.
33:15And everything's fine.
33:16I'll tell you what we'll do is we'll, erm, are you all right?
33:17Take your coat off.
33:18We'll, erm, do all your checks.
33:20I'll do an ECG and we'll sort of take it from there.
33:22When that pain first came on, what did it feel like?
33:26I can't even describe it.
33:27Was it like heavy, sharp, burning?
33:30It was burning and sharp.
33:31Burning and sharp.
33:32Okay.
33:33And it affected your breathing as well?
33:36Yeah.
33:37And when it was at its worst, if you could score that pain out of 10,
33:400 being no pain, 10 being the worst pain you've ever felt.
33:4410?
33:45Yeah.
33:45Yeah?
33:46And where are you at now?
33:47I mean, it doesn't feel like it's there.
33:50So it's gone away now?
33:52Okay.
33:53And you've not had any...
33:53I'm not going to call you because, to be fair, I've had this before.
33:56When I do call you, by the time you come, it's gone.
33:58Yeah.
33:58So I feel like I'm wasting your time.
34:00No, not at all.
34:01How many times does it happen then?
34:02Say every few weeks.
34:03Every few weeks.
34:04Okay.
34:04I didn't think nothing of it.
34:05Okay.
34:06But then my mum told me that, like, people in our family have died through heart failure.
34:11It can be an anxiety-related condition, but with him having a sort of an extensive family
34:16history of heart conditions, that wouldn't be something we'd be able to fully rule out,
34:20whether it be an anxiety or sort of a heart condition.
34:24I thought it was Angela at first.
34:26Okay.
34:39What's your favourite type of biscuit?
34:42Depends what mood I'm in.
34:43I used to have, like, proper sweet tooth, and now it's just gone.
34:49Like, I'd rather have a pack of crisps.
34:52Do you know what I mean?
34:52No.
34:53Oh.
34:53I love a Merryland cookie.
34:57You know, the little ones.
34:58Okay, the little mini ones, yeah.
34:59I would die for a pack of them.
35:01I used to love chocolate, but now I very, very rarely eat chocolate.
35:06Morgan, how could you not love chocolate?
35:08I do like chocolate.
35:10Mm-hm.
35:11I just don't eat it very much anymore.
35:13And you don't love it?
35:14No.
35:15No.
35:16I used to.
35:17Definitely used to.
35:18I think I got mature and my taste buds.
35:22You don't need to rub that in, okay?
35:24Like, I'd rather have cheese.
35:28What?
35:30I'd rather have cheese.
35:32Like a cheese board.
35:32Cheese for what?
35:34That is such an old person thing.
35:37Isn't it?
35:37Give me cheese and crackers.
35:39Yes.
35:39Love it.
35:48Ambulance service, is the patient breathing?
35:51Yes, but not very well.
35:53Can I speak to him to go through some questions?
35:56Can you answer some questions?
35:59Are you struggling with your breathing?
36:01Yeah.
36:02Okay, is his breathing problem coming suddenly or gradually?
36:04What?
36:06She'll do it.
36:1073-year-old male, breathing problems, fighting for breath.
36:15It's quite a stressful situation, I can imagine.
36:18Yeah.
36:18If you can't breathe, it's got to be quite distressing.
36:21Uncomfortable, isn't it?
36:22Very uncomfortable.
36:23Every one kind of panics.
36:24Yeah.
36:25And then the panic makes the not being able to breathe even worse.
36:28Yeah.
36:28Yeah.
36:29I'm sure I've been here before, you know.
36:36Hello, sweet.
36:37What's your name, darling?
36:39Barry.
36:40Barry.
36:41What's been happening today?
36:44They keep wheezing.
36:45You keep wheezing?
36:47Yeah.
36:47Yeah.
36:48Okay.
36:48Do you feel like you're struggling to catch your breath at the minute?
36:50Yeah.
36:51Does it...
36:51Do you have any tightness in your chest?
36:53It seems it's all coming from my throat.
36:55It feels like it's further up?
36:57Yeah.
36:58Is there any past medical history?
37:01COPD.
37:01You've got COPD.
37:03Okay.
37:0573-year-old Barry has a lung condition that makes breathing difficult.
37:09When his breathing got worse, his wife Diane called 999.
37:14Right, have a listen and then we'll decide what we're doing.
37:17Have some deep breaths for me.
37:22Yeah, you're really wheezy, aren't you, darling?
37:24Let's get you, erm...
37:26Let's get you some medicine.
37:28Right, let's pop this on you.
37:30Let's see how we get on, okay?
37:32Morgan gives Barry a nebuliser,
37:35which delivers a drug in the form of a mist that he can inhale.
37:39This should help open his airways and ease his breathing.
37:43Nice deep breaths, all right.
37:46COPD is like breathing through a straw, day to day.
37:49When you're unwell, it can get even worse.
37:52Barry was in quite a bad way.
37:55He was quite panicky and stressed.
37:57He looked unwell and his observations weren't the best.
38:01Everything's a bit piety, isn't it?
38:04Yeah.
38:13I need to put some stickers on your chest.
38:16I'm sure you've had these done before.
38:18Yeah, I've had a lot of them.
38:21In Stafford, paramedics Keira and Brooke are treating Gareth,
38:25who's complaining of chest pain.
38:28And have you had this pain since the last time you had the ambulance out?
38:32No.
38:32No?
38:33To be fair, no.
38:33I thought it had gone away.
38:35Okay.
38:35I didn't think it would come back again.
38:37Because I said it was all clear.
38:39But then today, I don't know what went wrong.
38:42And you were just sitting on the bus, you weren't doing anything strenuous?
38:45No, just relaxing, really.
38:46Okay.
38:48I've never felt anything like it.
38:49I tell you what, I'll take your temperature and I'll do your blood sugars as well.
38:54When Gareth described his symptoms,
38:56we initially thought that he was having some sort of cardiac event,
38:59whether that was a heart attack or angina.
39:01It could have also been something related to his lungs,
39:04like a chest infection.
39:05So we made sure to do a full assessment.
39:084.3.
39:10Am I right to have a little listen to your breathing as well?
39:13Yeah, sure.
39:14Lean forward for me.
39:20So far, your ECG is absolutely fine.
39:22And all your checks so far have been absolutely fine.
39:25There's nothing going on with all of your observations,
39:28but it doesn't give you the full story.
39:30Your ECG can look A-OK,
39:33and something else has been going on that we can't see.
39:36Lots of people can have an ECG that's OK and be having a heart attack,
39:40so it's very much like everything looks OK on the outside,
39:44but you don't really know what's going on on the inside
39:45until they get to hospital.
39:47So, obviously, if we don't know,
39:49it's always best to be on the safe side.
39:52If you'll come with us...
39:54Are you happy with that?
39:56Yeah?
39:58Ready to go?
40:00Up.
40:03Not all chest pain is heart-related,
40:05but with Gareth's family history of heart disease,
40:08it's important he gets checked out.
40:12So, were you on your way back from college or way to college?
40:15No, I was right there.
40:17What do you do?
40:17Help me at Weldon.
40:19Are you doing something to do with Weldon at the college?
40:21What are you doing at the college?
40:22Yeah.
40:24Bible college.
40:26A Bible college?
40:27And do you study the Bible?
40:30Oh.
40:30I've had a really better, rocky past.
40:32Don't worry, don't worry.
40:34And then...
40:34Turned your life around.
40:35When you hit rock bottom,
40:37there's only one way to get back up.
40:39Fair enough.
40:43You can pop your belt off now, yeah?
40:45Stand clear.
40:47We're all ready to go.
40:50At County Hospital in Stafford,
40:52Gareth will have a series of blood tests.
40:55This is the only way to rule out a heart attack.
41:05Does that feel like it's easing?
41:07Does it feel better with that on?
41:12Yeah.
41:13To the north of Birmingham,
41:15paramedic Daisy and student paramedic Morgan
41:18are with Barry, who's struggling to breathe.
41:21The wheezy.
41:22Yeah.
41:23I've had it now for a month.
41:24Is it just not going?
41:25It's not been enough for it.
41:27It's all right.
41:29OK.
41:29Am I all right to pop these on your chest, sweet?
41:32Yeah.
41:33Take this off, you see?
41:34Yeah, let's turn this off a minute.
41:37But we're still very wheezy.
41:39Just give me some hydrocore,
41:41if I can get a line in.
41:44Daisy gives Barry a drug
41:46designed to reduce the inflammation in his airways.
41:49Are you OK, Barry?
41:51You still feel really difficult to breathe?
41:55When we had your mask on, was that helping?
41:57Or was it about the same?
42:00A little bit.
42:08You focus on your breathing?
42:10It's actually 93.
42:11He is desaturating.
42:13Barry isn't getting enough oxygen.
42:15If his levels continue to drop,
42:17it could lead to organ failure.
42:20Let's pop this back on you, OK?
42:22Yeah.
42:23You've had that medicine as well now,
42:24through your vein, OK?
42:26That should help.
42:27There you go.
42:30Barry?
42:31How would you feel about going to hospital again today?
42:36I know you don't want to.
42:38But I don't see the phone.
42:40I know.
42:41They keep sending me out.
42:42I'm not right.
42:44Well, that's the thing, isn't it?
42:46You're not right.
42:47And this can't keep happening.
42:48Well, why do they keep sending me out?
42:50I don't know.
42:51You can't be at home like this, can you?
42:54Well, it's scary.
42:55I know.
42:56I know it is.
42:56I can tell.
42:57It's frustrating.
42:58It's scary.
42:59You very clearly can't breathe.
43:02They need to sort it out, don't they?
43:04Yes, they do.
43:06We insisted on Barry going to hospital.
43:09He wasn't going to get any better by himself at home.
43:11He needed further intervention,
43:13and he could only get that from the hospital.
43:16You're going to be all right, Barry.
43:17We're going to look after you, sweet,
43:18and we're going to get you sorted.
43:20We are.
43:23In the UK, around 1.4 million people like Barry have COPD.
43:29It's the second most common cause of admission to hospital.
43:37Let's keep that on you for a little bit
43:38and see how you get on, all right?
43:43Is that easing with that mask on, Barry?
43:46No.
43:47Not at all?
43:48No.
43:48OK.
43:49On the way to the hospital, Barry wasn't getting any better.
43:52It made me think, is there something else going on here?
43:55Why is he not responding well to the medication?
43:58Barry must be quite scared right now,
44:00and it's frustrating for us to see him being in such distress,
44:04and there's nothing more that we can do at the minute.
44:08Do you smoke?
44:09No.
44:10No? Did you use stuff?
44:11No.
44:12OK.
44:14The result of long-term smoking is often COPD.
44:18It's thought to be responsible for around nine in every ten cases.
44:23We're nearly here now, Barry.
44:24We're on the hospital grounds, all right?
44:26Yeah.
44:30Does it still feel hard to catch your breath?
44:32Yeah.
44:32Yeah.
44:33Yeah.
44:42OK.
44:43Yeah, no change.
44:46At Walsall Manor Hospital, medical staff will try to stabilise Barry's breathing,
44:52and help him better manage his condition at home.
45:05He was a poorly man, wasn't he?
45:06He ended up being really quite unwell, didn't he?
45:08Very poorly, indeed.
45:09Hopefully they'll get him sorted and he can go home to his lovely wife.
45:12Go back to normal.
45:14Good job.
45:16Productive girlies, indeed.
45:24Barry spent two weeks in hospital.
45:26He was given antibiotics to help reduce the infection in his lungs and make breathing easier.
45:34Tammy, who fell at work, was seen by a plastic surgeon who closed her head wound.
45:39She also had x-rays to rule out any damage to her neck.
45:45Gareth had blood tests that showed he'd not had a heart attack,
45:49but he was found to have emphysema, a condition that affects the lungs.
45:55And Georgia, whose seizures were becoming more frequent, spent six hours in hospital.
46:01When I got to the hospital, I had some tests done,
46:04and then they spoke to the neurologist, who decided that they would prefer to see me in outpatients.
46:11And they want me to have an MRI scan, an EEG, to see what kind of seizures I'm having.
46:18I'm still waiting for that.
46:47It's called a problem for horny in this helicopter.
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