[Closed] Ambulance

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Some eejit phoned because her false nail had fell off!

Yes. Tough gig.

I know Russ how thoughtless especially as someone had a dead cat in the garden.

Was that not the Queen?

Only realised it was on halfway through. Might watch it on iplayer...

Not sure it might have been the guy who was going to get god to punch the call handler in the face.

London seems a bit of a different place to be a paramedic than sunny Cumbria!

Someone stopping an ambulance to ask what was happening - yeah no worries Love (they call lots of people 'Love' it seems) I've screamed across London through red lights and between buses, but I'll stop here to give you the gossip.

London seems a bit of a different place to be a paramedic than sunny Cumbria!

Last night's programme wasn't a true representation of a normal day in London.
The Advanced Paramedics do go to a reasonable amount of arrests/stabbings/trauma etc but that's only about a dozen or so people across London. The regular day to day stuff isn't exciting enough for the TV though so as ever they skipped over most of it.
Despite that I still thought it was one of the best TV programmes I've seen about the Ambulance Service, I might be slightly biased though as a few mates of mine are in the programme!

We watched and it's clear that all the crews were caring, dilligent and patient with the patients.

One Q: which I'm sure can be answered by someone on here: Why so many incidents required multiple units? Given the clear shortage of trained crews there seemed to be a number of patients shown where a crew of two would be sufficient to manage treatment and get them to hospital but multiple ambulances were there and seemed to stay even when the situation had been assessed.

Another Q: Why not have trained lifting teams rather than tie up multiple paramedics moving a patient that's been stabilised.

[neither is a criticism, I'm just curious]

yep, watched it too, thought it was very good. hats off to the paramedics.

Some of the calls were amazingly idiotic.

One thing, did I miss hear that London is covered by only 15 Ambulances?

mcobie - Member

Some of the calls were amazingly idiotic.

One thing, did I miss hear that London is covered by only 15 Ambulances?

Nah, I think at one point someone said there were only 12 (or possibly 15) Ambos left free for a city of x million - all the others were busy.

They've got around 900 Ambulances in total, plus another 100 cars / bikes etc. I guess not all of them will be in service all the time, but it's still a lot.

Have a couple of close friends in the ambulance service. It's a job that's gettting tougher! Reduced number of stations, worse attitude from some members of the public, more idiotic call outs and reduced staffing. The pressure they are under is ridiculous.

P-Jay - Member 

mcobie - Member

Some of the calls were amazingly idiotic.
One thing, did I miss hear that London is covered by only 15 Ambulances?

Nah, I think at one point someone said there were only 12 (or possibly 15) Ambos left free for a city of x million - all the others were busy.
They've got around 900 Ambulances in total, plus another 100 cars / bikes etc. I guess not all of them will be in service all the time, but it's still a lot.

Ah, ok...that makes a lot more sense!

The thing that really came across was how tough their job is becoming. Although not covered, paramedics are woefully paid for what they do (as are all emergency services IMO).

Last night's programme wasn't a true representation of a normal day in London.
The Advanced Paramedics do go to a reasonable amount of arrests/stabbings/trauma etc but that's only about a dozen or so people across London. The regular day to day stuff isn't exciting enough for the TV though so as ever they skipped over most of it.
Despite that I still thought it was one of the best TV programmes I've seen about the Ambulance Service, I might be slightly biased though as a few mates of mine are in the programme!

A very valid point but there were a high amount regardless of certainly more than I'm use to. I thought it was a great model to use though sending APs to traauma, arrests and potential arrests.

One Q: which I'm sure can be answered by someone on here: Why so many incidents required multiple units? Given the clear shortage of trained crews there seemed to be a number of patients shown where a crew of two would be sufficient to manage treatment and get them to hospital but multiple ambulances were there and seemed to stay even when the situation had been assessed.

All cardiac arrests or potential require a 2 vehicle response in order to do effective CPR as the longer an individual does it the less efficient it becomes. Some jobs are identified wrongly or rightly depending on the info they receive.

They also seem to have AP dedicated desk in their control who monitor cases to send APs. It's also possible they mobilised to more when they were filming to provide footage but of course that I may be wrong about.

Another Q: Why not have trained lifting teams rather than tie up multiple paramedics moving a patient that's been stabilised.

Not sure if London does and they were tied up already but its a model tried elsewhere and what you end up is a resource that does relatively less work than it could if it was a normal vehicle. The decision is with the crew how they handle a patient but there are guidelines with weight limits. The Fire Service in some areas will assist with a lift but as this usually does not generate an income or they may be taken away from other work then they can't always respond.

A well shot and edited programe, showed some of the realities some of us may face just once in a lifetime, yet those paramedics and control staff where doing it every day , over long hours, and thanks to them .

Back on tonight.

Emotional already.

Peggy is going to die, I hope I'm wrong

Least she had an orgasim.

I'm not mentally robust enough to watch this kind of show.

It's very well done showing the pressure the services suffer and the emotions staff go through.

This is heartbreaking..... the patience is amazing, but it's such a waste of their time.

Yep it's absolutely spot on, well filmed/produced.

Kathleen's are unfortunately an all too common occurrence

😥

Awwww!

Oh Peggy 🙁

Tv at its best . What was the music at the end. Scotish guy i think singing hold back the night .

Coles Corner Richard Hawley. Just shazamed it

They all do an incredible job in difficult situations and environments.
I do think some people must be really stupid to call. But at least they as experts can make the right decisions.
Very powerful.

Richard Hawley is the artist.

It's phenomenal what people ring for.

That the one thanks.

One of the calls I remember taking was a lady who had taken laxatives and they had made her stools soft.

Actually had a lot of elderly women call about their bums/poo

But also on the flip side to these calls you get callers where they really don't want to be calling 999 or want an ambulance as they don't want to be a nuisance.... but they need one. For example I had a farmers wife call to request an out of hours Dr to call around at some point over the weekend. Her husband had got crushed by some farm machinery, managed to free himself and stagger in to the kitchen where he was currently lay unconscious on the floor!

I guess you have to laugh at the ones that call because a baby swan's been run over and the RSPCA aren't awake yet, at least you can get rid of that in 30 seconds, and hopefully you don't get too many 30s losses to add up.

It's the ones that clearly need help of some sort, but a paramedic isn't that help. But i don't know what is....

Sad for Peggy of course, but I can't help feeling that life had been lived and wrung dry some time before it actually ended, and I hope that things change before I reach that age.

Just in case you guys were wondering.

[img] [/img]

Watched this last night with my other half (paramedic in west london) and i think its the first time she has sat through any kind of ambulance related show without getting angry at it or having to turn it off. totally accurate reflection of the unfortunate time wasting that occurs (she recognised the "miscarriage" lady as an entinox junkie) but also the truly heartbreaking jobs they do go to. what a legend Peggy was!

Peggy was brilliant the characters like that cheer your day up.

Thats what she said, when the paramedic (at the end) said " i really love this job, i used to hate it" he must have just done a good job rather than go to someone with a cold/headache/4day old stomach ache

The BBC really do excel at this type of program. An Hour To Save a Life was also excellent.

Jesus, I've just started to watch this and bloody hell. Anyone that moans about the NHS can bugger off.
Really well filmed, fascinating.

Good isn't it.

Got to be one of the best edited and filmed series for a long time, such great continuity of the calls to the call centre to the ambos, to the patients to aerial filming.

Oh and the staff are excellent as well

I love the use of tagged address with a brief synopsis of a call overlaid into the map, it gives a better idea of what else is going on near by and how frustrating it is for crews to be stood down yards from an address. It also gives the public and idea of why they may have to wait for a minor incident.

Agree, I know a bit as my sister is an advanced paramedic but to see it like this is fascinating. I'm not going to even go on about the dedication and humility. Exceptional.
Oh and Peggy FTW.

NZCol - Member

Jesus, I've just started to watch this and bloody hell. Anyone that moans about the NHS can bugger off.
Really well filmed, fascinating.

Well put, this needs to be embedded onto the DM web page where you can't look at anything on there until you have watched & understood what people working on the front line of care services have to go through.

The miscarriage has just had me sobbing.

EDIT: just seen the outcome. Bloody hell.

Thanks for the heads up on this. Just watched the first episode (whilst on night shift on CCU!) and very much enjoyed it - as much as I think my job is nuts sometimes, I know I could never hack it as a paramedic, you guys deal with a whole other level of craziness.

Last one tonight.

It's been a really good series so far, I don't usually bother watching anything like this but I've been impressed with this one.

It's been tremendous I've barely criticisd it all and I'm normally do.

That last scene though that was a bit close to what I've gone through over the years, not ashamed to say it's taken a toll.

Tears once again.

Miscarriages were always the hardest calls to take 🙁 especially when had to tell the distraught mother to keep everything that was coming out of her

Some continuing exposure of frankly excellent people with a real vocation. Also, one real **** who was clearly in the wrong job.

The BBC seem to have done the business on the "fly on the wall" stuff recently - the Lifeboat was excellent as well

Also, one real **** who was clearly in the wrong job.

I may have swore at that bit.

Some continuing exposure of frankly excellent people with a real vocation. Also, one real **** who was clearly in the wrong job.

I was quite curious to see how the guys who I knew that were in the series would come across and I've got to say that they were outstanding which was pretty much what I'd expect of them.
You always seem to get at least one person in these programmes though who comes across badly!

His colleagues silence spoke volumes.

Not really on topic but kibd of

The other day latish i got stuck behind an ambulance doing forty with the blues flashing but no sirens. Must have hit a top speed of 40mph (national speed limit) considered overtaking!

Now I'd have though they were carrying someone carefully but it was also leaving edinburgh heading towards moffat.

So... why?

His colleagues silence spoke volumes.

It bloody well did - well done her! I would have exploded!

They probably got stood down off a case and forgot to switch the lights off.

Tell you what they're bloody distracting if you are stuck behind them on a dark night.

Is stabbing people up the arse a thing? Bagging?

**** me.... Sad.

And a massive tax on alcohol....! The amount of pain and waste it causes is crazy....

Yup it causes massive blood loss alpin.

Shitting through a pipe into a bag for the rest of their lives.... 🙁

Which paramedic are we supposed to be angry with? The young guy with the quiff?
Slight lack of empathy with the homeless guy, but couldn't argue with his point... A failing of the system or someone who let go of the reigns....? Either way a waste of resources on a busy night.

"Is he still anxious?"

Ha ha ha

Alpin, I saw it more as a complete lack of ability to empathise and then an attempt to browbeat a colleague.

I missed it. What time/day is it on?

Hopefully not the same time as Portillo's trains? 8)

Tuesdays at 9pm but I think it's over now - catch up on iplayer.

Cheers 🙂

Slight lack of empathy with the homeless guy, but couldn't argue with his point... A failing of the system or someone who let go of the reigns....? Either way a waste of resources on a busy night.

The reason for him going in was ridiculous another pathway would have been better but his lack of empathy towards him was uncalled for.

I do think he was acting up for the cameras a little..... Same goes for some of the folks in the control room taking calls and loudly repeating something odd that the caller has said, it's quite common in places I've worked before, basically the call taker is saying "ere have a listen to this".... it's a little passive aggressive (ok maybe not the correct term but it's early and I've only just woken up I'm struggling to brain properly)

I do think he was acting up for the cameras a little.....

Agreed but that makes it worse.

The ones in control I don't think they were, by repeating something it can trigger a response in person telling you something utterly ridiculous to stop and think. You see it used on here a lot.

The guy in control who had lost his twins and had dealt with the call from the parents of the baby in premature delivery. Unashamed to say it made me weep a little.

I wept at most of that part as it brought back so many memories I'd rather not have, my Mrs realised why I sometimes don't talk when I get home or why I sometimes get angry.

^^ sorry to hear that Drac.

Cheers but I'm fine it just comes through now and then.

It's back tomorrow night.

About time, I phoned ages ago.

Mod banter.

Classic.