- 5/27/2025
999 - On the front line S12E03 (25th May 2025)
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00:00AMBULANCE SIREN BLARES
00:01Ambulance service, is the patient breathing?
00:04He's got epilepsy.
00:05This is the third time he's come around like this and he's gone back in.
00:08She can't move.
00:10She's been crying nearly all night with pain.
00:13There's two children being run over by a car.
00:15One of them's not responding.
00:18Starts in the morning, eh? I know.
00:22We're on board with the paramedics of West Midlands Ambulance Service.
00:27This job changes every day.
00:29SHE SCREAMS
00:32Can we get fire or police? Somebody with bolt cutters.
00:35Painful even when I'm pressing here.
00:37Saving lives and making a difference every day.
00:41So the patient's been stabbed.
00:42In a medical emergency, six million people rely on them.
00:47You can go to people giving birth,
00:50they're in their most traumatic time of their life.
00:53You could be having a bleed on your brain.
00:55OK, mate, move in.
00:56Filming simultaneously with seven paramedic crews.
01:00He's got loads of things going on. Take a steady breath for me.
01:02Capturing life on the front line.
01:07There's no price you can put on saving somebody's life.
01:19For the paramedics of West Midlands Ambulance Service,
01:22it's the start of another 12-hour shift.
01:25Have you got your breakfast with you this morning?
01:28I have.
01:29Is it more mushy brown flakes?
01:31Yeah, it's all soggy and waiting to be eaten.
01:34I don't know how you can have soggy breakfast.
01:36How many jobs do you think we'll get through tonight?
01:39About eight. Eight? Yeah.
01:41Keep you busy, keep you awake, keep you on your toes.
01:43Shall we do it there? Yeah, let's go.
01:46Pew!
01:55You might think they were born to be paramedics,
01:57but many had a very different start in life.
02:01Do you remember your first job?
02:04I used to work in a cafe.
02:06Used to? No way.
02:07I worked at McDonald's.
02:08When I first started working, I was a vegetarian for two years.
02:12I used to dress up as the clown.
02:14Did you? Never known then, yeah.
02:16No. For the kids' parties, yeah.
02:18I worked at an animal sanctuary from the age of 12,
02:22just cleaning out all the animals and being outside.
02:24I just want to take them all home.
02:26My dad's friend, who's a builder,
02:29just liked labouring on a Saturday. Yeah, yeah.
02:32But I remember thinking it was hard work.
02:34He's like throwing bricks at me.
02:36Go on, hurry up, hurry up!
02:38The first lesson I learnt is that if you do a crap job,
02:42no-one will ask you again.
02:52MUSIC PLAYS
02:57Oh...
02:59I'm flagging now.
03:01Not too bad.
03:04I'm doing eating my porridge.
03:06I've got another chef's pie in the fridge and I've got, I think,
03:09spaghetti and meatballs or something, but I just fancied porridge today.
03:12So that's what I brought.
03:13What is it with you and porridge, CJ?
03:16I don't know, I think it's just...
03:18It's a quick and simple dinner.
03:19I can just warm up at the hospital.
03:22I thought you had it cold. No, definitely hot.
03:25You going to get there, you going to want cake?
03:27Yeah, I know, but I'll be good.
03:29You're going to have cake?
03:34PHONE RINGS
03:36This is the fire wing.
03:38Ambulance service, is the patient breathing?
03:40There's two children being run over by car.
03:43Oh, crikey, I can't miss the moment.
03:45We need them quickly.
03:46Are they both conscious and breathing?
03:48They're breathing, but one's in a recovery position.
03:50Are they both conscious?
03:52Yes, they are at the minute.
03:54OK, how old are they?
03:55One's eight and one's about six.
03:56They're quite young.
03:58One of them's not responding,
03:59but the one girl that hasn't moved off the floor yet,
04:01she's at the brunt of the collision.
04:07Go ahead.
04:08Major trauma.
04:11What's your ETA, please, over?
04:13ETA, two minutes, over.
04:15This is the emergency room.
04:16We've got two patients, both approximately eight years old,
04:19and one of those is an RTC versus a pedestrian.
04:23Is that what you're saying to us?
04:25Roger, received.
04:26Be there in under two minutes, over.
04:30On the way to an incident where there's a child being hit by a car,
04:34you do suspect the child's going to come off worse.
04:37So you just...
04:40..prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
04:43You're also thinking, like, worst-case scenario,
04:45just so you're prepared when you do arrive on scene.
04:49On the road, that's the command to call.
04:55A second ambulance crew has just arrived, together with the police.
05:02As the other crew looks after one child,
05:05Abdul and CJ receive an update on the younger casualty.
05:09So, we've got Nina, aged six.
05:12They were crossing the road, went to cross out this car,
05:14has collided into a side impact.
05:15Yeah. OK, she's gone underneath the car.
05:18She's ended up over there.
05:20I think her head was resting kind of against the wheel.
05:23She's got abrasions all across her tummy.
05:25OK, top to toe, no haematoma, no head injury,
05:28no loss of consciousness. Right.
05:29C-spine pain, nothing. Yeah.
05:31Given the mechanism... Yeah. ..we're going to immobilise.
05:34All our observations at this moment in time are stable.
05:36Yeah. Everyone happy? Yeah.
05:37Can you grab the pelvic bender for us, please?
05:40Yeah, yeah.
05:41Nina, hello.
05:42I said we're going to put you on a medical.
05:45Once I got the handover, she'd gone under the car
05:48and she had abrasions across her stomach.
05:50I was worried in case the car had actually driven over the top of her,
05:53of internal injuries, pelvic injuries,
05:57which can cause a lot of bleeding internally.
05:59It's magical, isn't it?
06:00It's magical, isn't it?
06:02I mean, it's a miracle.
06:03It's a miracle.
06:07With Nina's spine supported by head blocks,
06:10Abdul and CJ can attempt to move her onto a stretcher.
06:16It's all right, Nina.
06:18Keep still, keep still.
06:19Nice and still.
06:20That's it.
06:21Well done.
06:22We're going down slowly.
06:24Well done.
06:26Keep still, pull me straight up.
06:27Nice and supple now, CJ.
06:29She is.
06:42Hot roast pulled pork and stuffing and gravy.
06:45It's delicious, mate.
06:47If you put shredded turkey with gravy and turkey, gravy...
06:54Stuffy, gravy.
06:57Then it tastes nice.
07:00Why are you taking the mick for?
07:03We're not posh girls.
07:04No, I think you can put on an accent.
07:07I can have a nice...
07:09Noice?
07:10A noice?
07:11I can have a nice black country accent.
07:13You can put it on.
07:15I think the black country accent's better than, like,
07:17a brummy, thick, brummy accent.
07:19I feel like I always get told I'm a brummy, but I'm not.
07:22Do you ever get a brummy?
07:24Brummy!
07:31Ambulance services, a patient breathing.
07:34Yes, he's got epilepsy.
07:36And is he still fitting or has he stopped?
07:39No, he's come round, but this is the third time
07:41he's come round like this and he's gone back in.
07:44I'm going to try and get you into recovery mode.
07:47If he's still sitting a bit, just leave him where he is.
07:50Just move any objects out of his way to protect his head
07:52so he doesn't hurt himself.
07:53He's really struggling with his breathing now.
07:58Yeah, that's received and mobile, mate. Thank you.
08:02So, we are going to catworm, fit in.
08:06We've got no details apart from male.
08:10But we're literally round the corner.
08:13What's the update?
08:14In and out of tonic-clonic seizures.
08:18Seizures that include a stiffening of the muscles
08:21and jerking, twitching movements are called tonic-clonic.
08:25A seizure that won't stop can be dangerous.
08:28Seizures are time critical and would need to be treated
08:32straight away.
08:33The impact on the brain is life-threatening.
08:36So, therefore, we'd need to get there quickly to determine
08:40what is actually going on with this patient.
08:43MUSIC CONTINUES
08:49Aunt Abby, this is Emma, by the way.
08:51What's his name? Steve.
08:53Steve?
08:54Hello, mate.
08:56You OK?
08:57Someone bugled me.
09:00That was me, Steve.
09:01Someone bugled you.
09:03Yeah. Does he not like it?
09:05Stephen's carer, Alice, has given him a drug called
09:08Buccal Midazolam, which is designed to stop seizures.
09:13You can still taste it, yeah?
09:15OK.
09:16Imagine this little dog being so...
09:19THEY LAUGH
09:21Due to Stephen having multiple seizures before we arrived on scene,
09:26it was a risk that it could happen again,
09:28so we'd have to be ready for another seizure.
09:30So, how long has he been out of this seizure?
09:33He started at this one...
09:35Yeah. ..about three minutes.
09:37OK.
09:42MUSIC CONTINUES
09:47Yes! It's a brave girl.
09:50To the north of Birmingham,
09:52paramedic Abdul and technician CJ are treating six-year-old Nina.
09:56Both she and her friend have been in a collision with a car.
10:00Abdul is concerned Nina may have hurt her pelvis.
10:03Hello, Nina. Thank you.
10:05My name's Tom. I'm the air ambulance.
10:08As the potential for serious injury is considerable,
10:11air ambulance medics have also been sent.
10:15Have you got a knee pain anywhere? No.
10:17No. How old are you? Six.
10:19Six? Oh, such a brave girl.
10:22Do you remember what happened?
10:24Do you know ever so well?
10:25Nina, keep nice and still, my lovely.
10:27OK. You're doing really well.
10:30And I know we're baffling around a little bit,
10:32but you're doing amazingly well. OK, sweetheart.
10:35Nina was probably very frightened. She was only six.
10:38So, I got down on her level,
10:40tried to reassure her that everything was going to be OK.
10:42She was a brave little girl, to be fair.
10:44But I know if that was me, if I was the patient,
10:46I'd be just as frightened as she was, even probably more,
10:50especially with the amount of people that was around.
10:53All right, try not to move your head, darling, OK?
10:55Oh, you're nodding your head.
10:58Her older friend is stretched to a waiting ambulance
11:01while Abdul and critical care paramedic Tom prepare to move Nina.
11:05No, no, it's fine. Try not to move your head, darling.
11:08Andre?
11:16That was smooth, wasn't it?
11:18Which one? This one.
11:19Sorry? Weird. I know, it's weird, isn't it?
11:22Happy? Yeah, thank you.
11:24Olivia, you're in the back of an ambulance now.
11:27How exciting is this?
11:28So, she's lifted both legs,
11:29so I think the possibility of anything major within her pelvis is quite low.
11:33Have a seat, darling. Have a seat.
11:35I see you've got a lovely daughter.
11:37Mum Mercy arrives and gets on the ambulance to be with her daughter.
11:41Look at that smile. Don't shake your head.
11:44Right, you need to keep nice and still for me, darling, OK?
11:47Look at the end of my nose.
11:48I don't think this is any problem.
11:50Wonderful.
11:51Have you got any pain anywhere, darling?
11:53My foot. No?
11:55Would you tell me if anything hurt you?
11:57No, why not?
11:59You're cheeky, you are. You are?
12:01I like it, though. I'm cheeky too.
12:03So, we're going to go on the Nino to the hospital.
12:06Everything's fine.
12:08Yeah, but the thing is that you got hit by a car, darling.
12:10We just want to make sure there's nothing broken, yeah?
12:13Make sure there's nothing else going on. Is that OK?
12:15And Mum's coming with you as well?
12:18It's all right, Mum. It's all right.
12:20Mum, don't worry.
12:21Don't worry, she's fine.
12:23She's fine. She's fine.
12:27It is always concerning as a dad
12:28when you hear that there's been an accident involving a child.
12:32You put yourself in the place of the parents,
12:34cos you think if that had been your child, how would you feel?
12:38Everything appears OK, darling, so, you know, try and relax a bit.
12:42I know it's scary.
12:43Mum? Yeah?
12:46I'm OK. I know you are.
12:49We will be going on blue lights, yeah?
12:52And all it is is a precaution because of what's happened, yeah?
12:56There's nothing to say there's anything going on at the minute, yeah?
12:59All our numbers are fine.
13:03All ready? Yeah, yeah, all good.
13:08It is important that we took Nina to the hospital
13:11to get further assessment.
13:12She needed a full body scan to make sure that there was no
13:16internal injuries, such as internal bleeding or a pelvic fracture
13:20from being hit by the car.
13:26Pressure in your tummy, is that OK?
13:28It hurts.
13:30All right? You're OK.
13:32You're a very brave girl.
13:35Nina was a brave little girl, not complaining about any pain,
13:40even though she had, like, cuts all over her where she'd fallen.
13:45After a 15-mile journey, Nina and her mum
13:48arrive at Birmingham Children's Hospital.
13:51Finally. Finally, yay!
13:54I'm free!
13:57You're a cheeky monkey, aren't you?
13:59My daughter used to be exactly the same when she was little.
14:06Here, Nina's abdomen will be scanned to check for any
14:09internal injuries that aren't obvious.
14:19It could have been a lot worse. It could.
14:21I'm glad that they're both OK. Yeah.
14:24But I'm also glad that there was somebody already there
14:26before we got there.
14:27No, I think our little lady was very lucky, bless her.
14:37You're quite all right, mate.
14:39In Dudley, Technician Abby and Paramedic Emma are with Stephen,
14:44who's recovering from back-to-back seizures.
14:46He's still drowsy and his speech is slurred.
14:50Look at your eyes, darling.
14:52Sorry, matey. I'm so sorry. And this one.
14:56Lovely.
14:57Are you trying to sit up?
15:01That's it. Hold on. You've got to pull your leg over a bit.
15:07And has he been complaining of feeling unwell or anything?
15:11Stephen's carer, Alice, explains he's had an upset stomach
15:15and it's also a medication for asthma.
15:18See, I'm just going to pop this in your ear, OK?
15:21We were already made aware from the care staff that Stephen does
15:24have multiple seizures and they can be back-to-back,
15:28which is concerning, that if he hasn't got the recovery time
15:32between each one, that he's got a lack of oxygen.
15:35Stephen, can you bob your tongue out for me?
15:37I just want to see if you bit your tongue, that's all.
15:41No, tongue's OK.
15:43Sounds like you're a pro at what to do now.
15:48You're used to it, then.
15:50Do you have any sort of, like, warning
15:52that you're going to have a seizure?
15:53Any kind of pain or stress are my triggers.
15:57OK. It's put an end to my job.
16:00What did you used to do?
16:02Director of marketing for a hotel company.
16:06When I had a fit, get in a big meeting,
16:10scared the crap out of all the boys.
16:12Was it a big seizure?
16:14I was out cold for two days.
16:16To hear that he'd lost his job due to an illness
16:19that was out of his control,
16:21I think I'd be heartbroken if that happened to me.
16:25Your heart tracing's good.
16:27All of your abs are spot on now.
16:28Pretty perfect, actually.
16:31So, have you always had this many seizures, your whole life?
16:34I didn't realise I had epilepsy till I was 21.
16:38Back in the 80s, I didn't pick up on vacants.
16:40You were just an arsehole.
16:42I think there is more awareness on seizures these days.
16:46They are easily recognised,
16:48and people generally talking about them.
16:50However, it is still scary for somebody
16:52that has never seen one before.
16:54So, what usually happens when you have a seizure?
16:56Do you usually go to hospital?
16:58Or do you manage it at home?
17:00I think I'm banned from being taken to hospital.
17:05Is that because you go too frequently?
17:07Do you go all the time?
17:08I've got to the point where the nurses
17:10would tell the doctors not to bother,
17:12because I'd do a runner.
17:14As Stephen doesn't have round-the-clock care,
17:16his dad is coming over to keep an eye on him.
17:21Are you happy to stay here?
17:22Let Dad monitor you?
17:24Yeah, I'll just lie on here,
17:25and he'll probably put the top gear on.
17:28OK.
17:29Right, well, we will leave you to it.
17:32Obviously, if anything else happens, he has another seizure,
17:35just give us a call back and we'll come back out.
17:38Well, I'm glad we could make it to see you.
17:40Could you give us a bit of a hand?
17:41Yeah, you're all right.
17:42All right, all the best.
17:45See you later.
17:59I would hate to take him to hospital to...
18:02When they can't do anything for him.
18:04No.
18:05And all it's going to do is distress him,
18:07it can make him more poorly.
18:09He wants to just be a bit more...
18:11He wants to just stay at home, be comfortable.
18:13But you sure don't blame him?
18:15Yeah, I don't blame him either.
18:27Do you like pickled onions?
18:29Um, once in a blue moon.
18:31Love pickled onions.
18:33Just eat them out of a jar, just spoon them out.
18:36What have you bought for food?
18:37I've got...
18:38Dust.
18:39Dust.
18:40An avocado.
18:41Avamacados.
18:42I still love that you call avocados avamacados.
18:46It's great.
18:47That's your bad influence again.
18:49No, I can't not call it an avamacado now.
18:52It's stuck now, I don't know where it even came from.
18:54But it's like, avamacado, banini.
18:56Baninis.
18:57They're banini.
18:58I mean, your children are even stuck on it now, aren't they?
19:00Yes, it is a banini.
19:02And even if we're in the shop, I'm like,
19:04would you like to get some baninis?
19:06Or should we get some avamacados?
19:09I love that.
19:10Yeah.
19:13PHONE RINGS
19:14Ambulance service, is the patient breathing?
19:17He is breathing, but he's in a lot of pain.
19:20Where's this pain?
19:21In his stomach.
19:22Any other symptoms?
19:23He's kind of short of breath.
19:25And did this breathing problem come on suddenly?
19:27It just suddenly happened, yeah.
19:32Yep, all the same, I'm mobile, thank you.
19:34The patient has abdominal pain, generally unwell,
19:36with shortness of breath, has one kidney,
19:38working 15% to 20% max capability.
19:40Well, what's that?
19:43So many different things that cause you abdominal pain.
19:46I was quite intrigued when it said he only had one kidney working
19:49and that's not working very well.
19:51You know, that's not a lot left.
19:53No.
19:54How is he still functioning?
19:55Yeah, how is he still functioning and going about?
20:02Hiya.
20:03This is Ken.
20:04Hi, Ken.
20:05I'm Dani and this is Lisa.
20:06Hello, Ken.
20:07Are you worried about what's been going on today?
20:09Why are we here?
20:12Do you want somebody else to speak for you?
20:14Yeah, shoot.
20:15OK.
20:16Ken's condition is not very well.
20:18He's got one kidney and his other kidney's functioning
20:21at about 11% at the moment.
20:23He's had bladder cancer.
20:25He suffers with gout.
20:27He's popped round today to get me to fill in
20:29his disability badge form.
20:31Aww.
20:3281-year-old Ken used to work here
20:34and had dropped in to see his colleagues Emma and Graham.
20:38Was he fine initially when he came in to you?
20:40Not really.
20:41He pops in most weeks and he's usually quite perky
20:44but today he's come in.
20:45He's been shaky since he got here.
20:47Just relax that arm a second, that's it.
20:49Just whilst it's taking your blood pressure.
20:52Are you going to be sick?
20:53Where's the bag?
20:55Have you been sick today?
20:56No.
20:58Point to where the pain is.
21:00All around, everywhere.
21:02My first impressions of Ken was
21:04he was quite pale,
21:06he looked like he was about to vomit,
21:08he was a little bit shaky
21:10and he was struggling to get his words out.
21:12Is there anything that makes the pain worse?
21:14If you move around, does that make it worse?
21:16No.
21:17Can I have a little listen to your tummy?
21:19Perfect.
21:20Nice and relaxed.
21:21Do you say you're family?
21:22No, he used to work here.
21:24He was my husband's boss
21:26when he first started his apprenticeship
21:28and then he came to work for my husband
21:31and now you're retired Ken
21:33don't you pop in for a cup of tea
21:35and eat all the biscuits?
21:37Is his shake normal?
21:39No.
21:40I've not seen you shake like that before.
21:42I guess it's panic attack.
21:44Are they giving you anything to help
21:46with the anxiety of them?
21:48I just saw his medication
21:50and I don't know what about it.
21:52I just get myself worked up everywhere.
21:54And then you had this pain anyway
21:56and then you get a bit panicky about it.
21:58Bit of a vicious cycle isn't it?
22:00And this pain, do you normally get it
22:02in waves as well?
22:04This is it.
22:12This is it.
22:14At one point I was thinking
22:16is he having a stroke
22:18because he was really struggling
22:20to get his words out.
22:22Really all of a sudden as well
22:24as things changing.
22:26It's not been the first time
22:28somebody started having a stroke
22:30in front of us.
22:32I'm panicking.
22:34You are panicking at the moment.
22:36I know what panic attacks are.
22:38This is it.
22:42Oh bless you.
22:54We're following seven paramedic crews
22:56as they respond to just some of the
22:584,000 calls received by West Midlands
23:00Ambulance Service every day.
23:08Nice deep breaths.
23:10In through your nose.
23:12In through your nose and out through your mouth.
23:14On an industrial estate
23:16on the outskirts of Worcester
23:18paramedics Lisa and Danny
23:20are treating Ken
23:22who's having a panic attack.
23:24You're doing really well.
23:26Your oxygen levels are perfect
23:28they're 100%.
23:30You're getting plenty of oxygen in, okay?
23:32I don't want to go
23:34I don't want to go
23:36I don't want
23:38I don't wanna go back there
23:40I don't wanna go back.
23:42You don't want to go where?
23:44I don't want to go back there.
23:46Ken?
23:48We can't force you to go
23:50anywhere Ken.
23:52Yeah.
23:53You have, you know, you have control of the situation.
23:56We're not going to force you to do anything or go anywhere.
24:00OK? We're here to support you, whether we, you know,
24:04take you to hospital or not take you to hospital.
24:06If you don't want to go, we won't take you.
24:08So I really felt for Ken.
24:10Bless him, he's elderly, he's got lots of chronic conditions.
24:14You know, he's really anxious about all of those things.
24:17And it must be really quite difficult,
24:19because he is on his own at home.
24:21So we just needed to provide him with that reassurance
24:24that he is OK and that we were there for him.
24:27Oh, a cup of tea's pending.
24:29And some biscuits, eh?
24:31So I think you need to speak to your doctor.
24:33Would you prefer me to give them a call and see if I can get through?
24:37The other thing is, is that the GP will find out
24:40whereabouts you are with the dialysis process.
24:44I know I'm waiting two to four weeks before I go in spiritually.
24:50Since then, I've had family panic.
24:53Oh, OK.
24:54Which is probably playing on me morning as well.
24:57Oh, there's not so much going on.
24:59I think on this occasion it was appropriate
25:01that Ken didn't want to go to hospital.
25:03After we'd had a good chat about everything,
25:05his anxiety levels had seemed to come right down.
25:08Dani has managed to speak to the receptionist at Ken's surgery.
25:13They're just seeing where they can get you in, OK?
25:16If you see someone today, that would be good for you, won't it?
25:19Get the ball rolling a bit for you.
25:245.30. Can we get down for 5.30? Is that OK?
25:275.30, yeah. Yeah?
25:28Lovely. That's perfect. Thank you.
25:31Emma's husband, Graham, will take Ken to the doctors for his appointment.
25:36You do look a little bit perkier than you did an hour ago.
25:39I think it says a lot about Ken going back to his workplace, doesn't it?
25:42That he feels really comfortable to go back
25:44and how lovely all the staff were and how welcoming they still are to him.
25:48Yeah, it was like a little family there, wasn't it?
25:51They clearly adored him.
25:53Tea and biscuits and, yeah, they were just looking after him so well, weren't they?
25:58Doing everything that they could do, which was really, really lovely.
26:01It's nice to see. Yeah.
26:03Feeling a bit better? Yeah.
26:05Good. Enjoy your cup of tea and take care.
26:08I really appreciate it. You're welcome.
26:10Very welcome. Bye-bye.
26:15MUSIC PLAYS
26:18Paramedics like Lisa and Danny wouldn't be able to do their job
26:22if it wasn't for the people in this room.
26:25There's a blue light, emergency response required.
26:27All right, just stay nice and calm.
26:29Every day, these call assessors answer over 4,000 pleas for help
26:34with no idea what the next one will bring.
26:37It's all about reassurance when the caller is in distress.
26:41I'm sorry to hear that. I'm very sorry to hear that.
26:45And then once when they tell me exactly what's happened,
26:48you know, then it helps me be able to deal with the call as quick as possible.
26:54But at the start, it is nerve-wracking.
27:00Ambulance service, is the patient breathing?
27:08Is the patient breathing right now?
27:12Are they conscious and awake?
27:16Bear with me, please, stay in the line with me.
27:18Are you in the same room as her?
27:22I've arranged help for you.
27:24I'm going to tell you how to give basic life support then, OK?
27:29I need her on her back and on the floor, if possible.
27:35So she's moving now? See if she will open her eyes.
27:41She doesn't understand what you say to her.
27:43She's breathing, she's not moving much, but she is breathing.
27:47Very, very shallow.
27:49So we need to carry on then until she starts taking regular breaths
27:53and she's moving normally.
27:55It's really difficult to give instructions regarding CPR,
27:59especially to somebody that has never done it before,
28:03because when doing the compressions, they believe that it's going to hurt them.
28:07But I've just got to reassure them.
28:10I really don't want you to be afraid to push too hard, OK?
28:13Don't worry about the ribs, because this is giving her the best chance possible, OK?
28:17So I need you to push about two times a second.
28:20So I push out loud with every push so I know how fast you are going.
28:24She is moving, she is moving.
28:27See if she can get her to open her eyes.
28:30Yeah, she is moving her eyes, yeah.
28:32So now she's woken up, is that right?
28:35Yes.
28:36So right now, is she breathing in and out evenly now?
28:41Yeah, she is.
28:42Right, what we'd recommend then is for you to stay in the line with me, OK,
28:46until the ambulance gets there.
28:49Come in.
28:51When I hear that knock on the door and the paramedic shouting,
28:55hello, that gives me a big relief
28:58because I now know that the crew is there for the patient.
29:02OK, I can hear the crew then.
29:04So what I'll do, I'll leave you with the crew, OK, then.
29:07So all the best, OK, you're most welcome.
29:10Thank you. Bye, bye, bye.
29:24I'd love to swim with a dolphin, you know.
29:26I've actually done it, you know.
29:28You've actually swam with a dolphin?
29:30When it was, like, spring break in America.
29:32They make, like, a seal squeak, like...
29:35HE GIGGLES
29:38You do it again.
29:39HE GIGGLES
29:41You just sound like a dolphin laughing.
29:43Can you do anything else? You could do a cat.
29:46Yeah, that's good.
29:48Impersonator.
29:49No, impressionist. Impressionist.
29:51Impressionist.
29:52Oh, God, I can't do it.
29:54Impersonator.
30:01Ambulance service, is the patient breathing?
30:04Yes, the patient is breathing very, very heavy.
30:07What's the main reason for the ambulance, please?
30:09She can't move. She's been crying nearly all night.
30:12With pain.
30:13And where's the pain the worst at the moment?
30:15Down the back.
30:19So we are going to a 66-year-old female.
30:23Back pain and fighting for breath.
30:26Also has leg pains.
30:28Well...
30:29Bit of a concoction of things.
30:31Oh, 66.
30:32Yeah.
30:33She's quite young, really, isn't it?
30:35So we got told that she was fighting for breath and pain in her legs.
30:38This can indicate that she's having a pulmonary embolism.
30:44Hello. My name's Courtney.
30:46This is Parker. Hello, darling.
30:48How can we help? What's been happening?
30:50I've got terrible back pain.
30:53OK.
30:54It started all last week.
30:56It's just so painful, it's just not going away.
31:00It's from the, like, middle and lower back,
31:04all down my right leg, into my feet.
31:08OK.
31:0966-year-old Pamela has been suffering with severe back pain.
31:14Today, it got so bad, husband Mick called 999.
31:19What caused the back pain initially?
31:24Pamela didn't look very well, bless her.
31:26She looked really uncomfortable, didn't she, as well?
31:29The thing is, with back pain,
31:30there's so many different things that can be going on.
31:32It could be trauma, if they had a fall.
31:35Is it something on the inside of the body going on that we're not aware of?
31:39Have you had it before this week,
31:41or is this week just brand-new for yourself?
31:43First is new.
31:44You haven't fallen or anything, injured your back?
31:46No.
31:47So, a week ago, lower back pain,
31:50and was it shooting down your leg when you saw your doctor?
31:53Yes.
31:54Did he mention, like, sciatica? Sciatica, yeah.
31:56OK.
31:57The sciatic nerve is the longest in the body
32:00and runs down each leg from the lower back.
32:03If it gets compressed, it can cause severe pain.
32:07With sciatica, it can be normal for the pain in the middle of your back
32:11and to shoot down your legs.
32:13Have you been mobilising as normal today?
32:16No.
32:17No.
32:18I mean, I only walk about with a brain.
32:21As well as severe back pain, Pamela also has asthma.
32:26How's your breathing at the moment?
32:28Well, it's quite laboured because I'm in so much pain.
32:31I'm going to be your pain in the bum.
32:33I'm going to need you to try and stand for me, if you can,
32:36so I can see what your mobility is like.
32:39It was important to see Pamela move,
32:41just to see the extent of her back pain.
32:44However, with asthma, we needed to be very careful,
32:47as she was already short of breath due to the pain.
32:49We didn't want to cause an asthma flare-up as well.
32:52You do what you normally would do, OK?
32:54Just like we're not here.
33:02That was a good one.
33:04How do you feel now you're standing?
33:07It hurts.
33:08It hurts. Can I have a little feel? Is that all right?
33:11Yeah.
33:12Any pain up here?
33:13You just stood right there.
33:15There.
33:16Do you reckon you could do a few steps or not at all?
33:19No, I need to sit down.
33:20No worries. Have a seat for us.
33:22There we go.
33:24Since you've been sat down, has it been more painful?
33:27It's been more painful.
33:29Right, sweetheart.
33:31Is it going to be a trip up to the hospital?
33:34What do you think they can do, anything?
33:36It's how you feel.
33:38How you think you can manage here.
33:41I don't feel I can manage at the moment.
33:44There's your answer then, yeah.
33:45Pop you up to the hospital,
33:46see if they can give you some better pain relief.
33:49The reason she needed to go to hospital
33:51ultimately was unsafe to be left at home.
33:53She couldn't mobilise, she couldn't walk,
33:55she couldn't get out of the chair, could she?
33:57How would she get to the toilet?
33:59If she's in that much pain to even try and live a normal life,
34:02she needs to be seen by a doctor.
34:04How's the pain out of ten now while you're sat down?
34:07I would say it's about an eight.
34:09Before you come, it was about a 20.
34:12OK. So it's about an eight.
34:14What about when you stand up?
34:16Oh, 20.
34:18OK.
34:19To help ease Pamela's pain, Parker offers her gas and air,
34:23a painkiller commonly used during childbirth.
34:27Would you like to give this a go? Before we move?
34:29Before we move, to see if it might make you feel a bit funny.
34:32Oh, I'd better move first.
34:34Yeah.
34:35Right, in your own time.
34:40You're quick when you're up.
34:42Got to do it quick, otherwise you never get up.
34:44Right, there you go.
34:47That's it. You're on.
34:49There we go. You're on, darling.
34:51With Pamela secure on the chair,
34:53Parker and Courtney prepare to take her to the ambulance.
34:57Are you sure you don't want any of that pain relief?
35:00Shall we give you some before we move?
35:02Yeah.
35:04Can we just go?
35:06Get going, yeah?
35:08Right, let's strap you in.
35:10It might be a bit of a bumpy ride.
35:12This is the worst pain. Is this a 20 now?
35:14Is this a 30?
35:1630.
35:20Right, a few bumps, all right.
35:24To the west of Birmingham, in Albury,
35:27paramedics Courtney and Parker are treating Pamela,
35:30who has severe back pain.
35:33Have a little rock if you need to, and then go on three.
35:36One, two, three.
35:40You did it.
35:44Now, OK?
35:46You're on.
35:48How's that pain laying down flat?
35:51It's about a 10.
35:53About a 10? So we've gone from a 30 to a 10?
35:56It's really hard to see someone like Pamela in pain
35:59because you just want to be able to take it away from them,
36:02and I really empathise with people
36:04that are really struggling like that.
36:06Do you want some of that gas and air?
36:08No, I'll be all right. You'll be all right?
36:10Shall I pop it here just in case? Yeah.
36:12You know what Birmingham's like.
36:14There'll be potholes everywhere, so you never know.
36:18Husband Mick will make his own way to the hospital.
36:21Do you want to come and give her a kiss before we go?
36:26I'll be up when? When I've phoned you. Yeah.
36:31Courtney keeps a close eye on Pamela
36:33on the four-mile journey to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
36:38How long have you been married?
36:4023 years.
36:42How did you meet Mick?
36:44He was my supervisor at work.
36:46Oh, he wasn't, was he?
36:50I think I am nosy talking to a patient about their life,
36:53but I do it to reassure them, so it's what they're comfortable with,
36:56it's what they know, and it distracts them from what's going on.
37:00In A&E, medical staff will try to find out
37:03why Pamela's back pain has suddenly got so much worse.
37:08You are going nowhere, don't you? We've got you, sweetheart.
37:11We're not going to let you go.
37:13There you go.
37:15Andrew's going out tonight to the commandery at Worcester.
37:18A bit of a ghost thing at night, you know? Oh, never.
37:21Candle lit. I don't know whether I'm into that.
37:24Doesn't it make you feel a bit like a cat?
37:26I'm a cat. You're a cat.
37:28You're a cat? Yeah.
37:30I'm a cat.
37:32You're a cat.
37:34You're a cat.
37:36I'm a cat.
37:38I'm a cat.
37:40You're a cat.
37:42I don't know whether I'm into that.
37:45My wife pleasing goats, but I'm like, ah, no.
37:47It's a load of rubbish.
37:48I don't know.
37:48A load of rubbish.
37:49I don't know.
37:50What would a goat sound like?
37:52Ooh.
37:52Ooh.
37:53Ooh.
37:53Ooh.
37:54Ooh.
37:54Ooh.
37:55That's what they sound like.
37:57No, they don't make a noise, do they?
37:58No.
37:59They just appear and just.
38:01Yeah.
38:02I'm going to go with they don't make a noise.
38:05Yeah.
38:06Well, they make a noise.
38:07It's a bang.
38:08Oh, what was that?
38:09You know.
38:09Is the call about yourself or somebody else?
38:12Somebody else. None of that.
38:14So, Mindy's had a bit of a cold for the past week,
38:18which has developed a cough.
38:19It's turned into a hoarsely cough.
38:21She's got gaps in her air.
38:25Four months. Had a cold for the last week, now a croaky cough.
38:29Oh, dear. How old's the kid?
38:31Four months. Yeah.
38:33I mean, a kid that young, we're not going to be able to get him out.
38:36As being safe without seeing someone else.
38:38Yeah, that's it.
38:39Dealing with babies is always a worry,
38:41especially four months.
38:42They can't tell you what's wrong with them.
38:44Things change very fast.
38:49OK.
38:50Hello, there.
38:52Hiya.
38:53So, what's happened tonight?
38:56Hello, there.
38:57Hello.
38:59Oh, jolly.
39:00So, what's happened to Mindy?
39:03Hello.
39:04Oh, jolly little kid.
39:06So, what's concerned you?
39:07So, she's had a cough the last couple of days.
39:11Yeah.
39:12But then this evening, it's got, like, a lot worse.
39:14So, she's coughing and she's, like, wheezing and gasping for breath.
39:18Is it like a barking type sound? Yeah, yeah.
39:20When four-month-old Maisie was coughing and struggling to breathe,
39:24mum Chelsea rang for help.
39:26Dad Gavin is also here.
39:29So, it's just come on quite suddenly,
39:31like... The croakiness has, yeah.
39:33But it's only been... Yeah.
39:35..like the past couple of hours where it's been quite croaky.
39:38But then she started wheezing and gasping for breath,
39:40so we got a bit worried.
39:41OK, all right.
39:43So, we'll have a little listen.
39:46OK, OK. Yeah.
39:48Ever so jolly.
39:49OK, if you sit her up, so I just have her listen to her.
39:52I can listen to it just down the back of her baby grey, that's fine.
39:55OK. Oh, dear. Oh, there we go.
39:59Maisie's barking cough suggests
40:01you may have a viral infection called croup.
40:04This causes the airways to swell, making breathing difficult.
40:10Oh, dear.
40:11Babe Maisie looked quite well, considering.
40:15However, it's quite evident she got a barking-type cough,
40:19which would suggest croup.
40:20How do you feel her colour is? Is her colour OK?
40:23Is it pale? I think she looks quite pale.
40:25Yeah. She's interactive, which is great.
40:28And she's got good muscle tone, but just the colour...
40:32You're a little bit pale, aren't you?
40:33Being a little baby, there are some checks
40:35that are a little bit more difficult to do than others.
40:37That's it, well done.
40:40That's it.
40:4335.4. Let me try that again.
40:45These aren't particularly good.
40:47We have got another one, I think, to try.
40:49Neil tries to check Maisie's temperature for signs of infection,
40:53but he's finding it difficult to get an accurate reading.
40:57Right, let's see.
40:59So, this is going to go under a little armpit here.
41:02It's come up with 35.6 there,
41:04but when I put it under initially, it was 36.
41:07I mean, even if all the numbers are OK as such,
41:11we probably always recommend hospital.
41:13It's very difficult to assess a child in the community.
41:16Yeah.
41:17I'd rather take her in and be looked at.
41:19Yeah, yeah.
41:20Very safe and sorry, isn't it? Yeah.
41:22Right, this is the bit she's not going to like now.
41:24Oh, the little pinprick. The little pinprick.
41:28Neil needs to take a spot of blood from Maisie's heel
41:31to check her blood sugar levels.
41:33It sounds strange.
41:34What we always try and do is I'll get you to kind of hold her
41:37so she can't see me.
41:38I can't do it with a baby.
41:40Honestly. It's hard for Neil's sake.
41:41Yeah, yeah. Honestly, yeah.
41:43I can't do...
41:44It's freaking me out. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
41:46I'd rather not know that I did it.
41:48I find it difficult to complete the blood sugar tests on babies
41:52just because I don't want to upset them.
41:55If I do have to do it, I always try and get it
41:58so the baby can't see that I'm doing it.
42:01Just a suspicion.
42:02Shh. Well done.
42:04Good girl. That's it.
42:07I didn't know about that.
42:08I didn't know. That's impressive.
42:11No guilt here.
42:123.8, George.
42:13So blood sugar is a little lower than what we'd like to see, really.
42:16OK. OK? Yeah.
42:18What blood sugar can indicate with this particular situation
42:21is that her body's working a little bit too much
42:24to try and fight something off, basically. Yeah.
42:28With Maisie's observations complete, she can now head for hospital.
42:33It's just worrying.
42:34Yeah, no. That's it.
42:35Babies bring worries. They can get ill quite quickly as well.
42:38Like I say, they're all...
42:40How do you overcome that?
42:41They're all at one minute and then suddenly, you think, oh.
42:44Well, that's what I was worried about.
42:46But they also jump back as well.
42:48Yeah. You know, that's the problem.
42:50So we're both parents, aren't we?
42:51It's always a worry when it's your own kid.
42:54Yeah, it's always a big, big worry.
42:57So we can totally empathise when a baby's...
43:02And they're so... They just can't tell you what's wrong.
43:04No. That's the problem, isn't it?
43:06You don't really know what's going on.
43:09Look at you, eh? So cute.
43:12She hates going into a car seat, but... Oh, no.
43:15Yeah, as soon as she'll start moving.
43:17Oh, we'll be all right. Yeah.
43:20Yeah, no, she doesn't want to go in it.
43:21It's not like she's been in it every day of her life.
43:24SHE LAUGHS
43:26Bless her. Good girl.
43:28I want to act like that.
43:33All right then, Neil. OK.
43:36She doesn't seem to be in pain.
43:38Sometimes babies, like, scream a horrible sort of...
43:42Really horrible cry. You haven't noticed anything like that?
43:45Yeah, she's singing.
43:46I don't think she's in pain.
43:48But she has been crying a lot. Right.
43:51She's been quite big. Oh, OK.
43:52I don't know if that's because she's under the weather.
43:55Maybe. She just wants to be close. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
43:57But she's quite a chilled-out baby, normally.
44:00Yeah, no, looks it.
44:01Over there, Neil. Yeah.
44:04Maisie arrives at Birmingham Children's Hospital.
44:07Do you want me to carry her? Oh, go on, Neil.
44:09Be a gentleman.
44:11There you go. Thank you.
44:12Shiver is not dead. It's a long time since I've done this.
44:15That's it.
44:17Brings nightmares, doesn't it, Neil? Yeah.
44:22Here, Maisie will be seen by the paediatricians
44:25to investigate the cause of her barking cough
44:27and to see what can be done to ease her breathing.
44:38What a cute little baby. Yeah.
44:41The cutest baby you've ever seen.
44:43With a hat on. So jolly.
44:45Yeah, real jolly little baby.
44:47You can never be 100% what's going on with a little baby.
44:51That's the thing, isn't it? No.
44:52So, needs a proper check.
44:54They're just too small.
44:56Hopefully, fine.
45:03Baby Maisie spent eight hours in hospital
45:06where she underwent tests that confirmed she did have croup.
45:10She was given medication to help reduce her congestion.
45:15Pamela, who had severe back pain,
45:18had blood tests and an MRI scan.
45:21She was diagnosed with urinary retention
45:24and was able to return home after two weeks in hospital.
45:29And Nina, who was in a collision with a car,
45:32spent two nights in hospital.
45:35Scans revealed she'd fractured her pelvis.
45:37After ten days, she was able to return to school.
45:45Next time, a woman has a suspected stroke.
45:49At the moment, your blood pressure is very, very high.
45:52It's 212.
45:54Her blood pressure was significantly high,
45:56giving her a massive risk of having a really big stroke.
46:01A man has collapsed with a potentially
46:03life-threatening infection.
46:05Do you feel a bit feverish, Gerald?
46:07Yeah, a bit.
46:08Your daughter says you haven't been quite right.
46:11Gerald's temperature was quite high.
46:13It could suggest sepsis, which can be fatal.
46:16And the young woman is in agony.
46:18On a scale of one to ten, ten being your arm ripped off, 11.
46:22She was in quite a lot of pain.
46:24She'd already taken her own pain relief
46:26and it just wasn't working.
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