999.on.the.front.line.S12E04
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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.
00:09She 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.
00:41You say the patient's been stabbed?
00:42In a medical emergency...
00:44Are you all right?
00:45..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.
01:01Take a steady breath for me.
01:02..capturing life...
01:04SHE GROANS
01:05..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.
01:26Have 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.
01:47Pew!
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? I see. No way.
02:07I worked at McDonald's.
02:08When I first started working, I was a vegetarian for two years.
02:12I did used to dress up as the clown.
02:14Did you? Never known then, yeah. No.
02:16For 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.
02:25I 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
03:07and I've got, I think, spaghetti and meatballs or something,
03:10but I just fancied porridge today, so 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 received, over?
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.
04:38So 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?
05:39Yeah, yeah.
05:41Nina, hello.
05:42I said we're going to put you on a medical board.
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,
05:56which can cause a lot of bleeding internally.
05:59This car is an extra medical board.
06:01It's an extra medical board, all right?
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. Keep still, keep still.
06:19Nice and still. That's it.
06:21Well done.
06:22We're going down slowly.
06:24Well done.
06:26Keep still, pull me straight up.
06:41Hot roast pulled pork and stuffed in gravy.
06:44Oh, it's delicious, mate.
06:46If you put shredded turkey with gravy and turkey gravy...
06:53Stuffy gravy.
06:56Then it tastes nice.
06:58Why are you taking the medical board?
07:02We're not posh girls.
07:03No. I think you can put on an accent.
07:06I can have a nice...
07:08Can have a nice black country accent.
07:11You can put it on.
07:12I think the black country accent's better than a thick Brummie accent.
07:16I feel like I always get told I'm a Brummie, but I'm not.
07:19Do you ever get a Brummie?
07:21Brummie!
07:29Ambulance services, a patient breathing.
07:32Yes, he's got epilepsy.
07:34And is he still fitting or is he still in pain?
07:37Is 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.
07:44See if I need to try and get you into recovery, mate.
07:47If he's still fitting a bit, just leave him where he is.
07:50Just move any objects out of his way to protect his head
07:52so it doesn't hurt itself.
07:54He's really struggling with his breathing now.
07:58Yeah, that's received and mobile, mate. Thank you.
08:02So, we are going to the cat warm, fit in.
08:06We've got no details apart from male.
08:10But we're literally round the corner.
08:14What's the update?
08:15In 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
08:30and would need to be treated straight away.
08:33The impact on the brain is life-threatening.
08:36So, therefore, we'd need to get there quickly
08:38to determine what is actually going on with this patient.
08:49Oh, Abi, this is Emma, by the way.
08:51What's his name?
08:52Steve.
08:53Steve?
08:54Hello, mate.
08:56You OK?
08:57Someone buggered me.
09:00That was me, Steve.
09:01Someone buggered you.
09:03Yeah. Does he not like it?
09:05Stephen's carer, Alice, has given him a drug called Buccal Midazolam,
09:09which is designed to stop seizures.
09:12You can still taste it.
09:14Yeah.
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?
09:32He started at this one for about three minutes.
09:36OK.
09:47Yes!
09:48It's the brain 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.
10:01Abdul is concerned Nina may have hurt her pelvis.
10:04Hello, Nina. Thank you.
10:05Hello, love. My name's Tom.
10:07I'm the air ambulance medic.
10:08As the potential for serious injury is considerable,
10:12air ambulance medics have also been sent.
10:15Have you got a knee pain anywhere?
10:17No. How old are you?
10:19Six.
10:20Six? Oh, such a brave girl.
10:22Do you remember what happened?
10:25Do you know ever so well?
10:26Nina, keep your eyes in still, please.
10:27My lovely. OK.
10:29You'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.
10:37She was only six, so I got down on her level,
10:40tried to reassure her that everything was going to be OK.
10:43She was a brave little girl, to be fair.
10:45I know if that was me, if I was the patient,
10:47I'd be just as frightened as she was, even probably more,
10:50especially with the amount of people that was around.
10:53Right, try not to move your head, darling, OK?
10:56Oh, you're nodding your head.
10:58Her older friend is stretched to a waiting ambulance
11:01while Abidal 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. Sorry?
11:20Weird. I know, it's weird, isn't it?
11:22Happy? Yeah, thank you.
11:24Olivia, who was the back of an ambulance round?
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.
11:37Mum Mercy arrives and gets on the ambulance to be with her daughter.
11:41OK, 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.
11:49Wonderful.
11:51Have you got any pain anywhere, darling?
11:53No?
11:54Would you tell me if anything hurt you?
11:56No. No? Why not?
11:58You're cheeky, you are. You are?
12:00I like it, though. I'm cheeky, too.
12:03So we're going to go on the Nino to the hospital.
12:06Is everything fine?
12:07Yeah, but the thing is that you got hit by a car, darling.
12:10We just want to make sure there's nothing broken, yeah?
12:12Make sure there's nothing else going on. Is that OK?
12:15Mum's coming with you as well.
12:17It's all right, Mum. It's all right.
12:19Mum, don't worry. Don't worry, she's fine.
12:23She's fine.
12:26It is always concerning as a dad
12:28when you hear that there's been an accident involving a child.
12:31You put yourself in the place of the parents
12:34because you think if that had been your child, how would you feel?
12:37Everything appears OK, darling.
12:39So, you know, try and relax a bit.
12:41I know it's scary.
12:43Mum? Yeah?
12:45I'm OK.
12:47I know you are.
12:48We will be going on blue light, yeah?
12:51And all it is is a precaution because of what's happened, yeah?
12:55There's nothing to say there's anything going on at the minute, yeah?
12:59All the numbers are fine.
13:02Yeah, yeah, all good.
13:07It's important that we took Nina to the hospital
13:10to get further assessment.
13:12She needed a full body scan
13:14to make sure that there was no internal injuries
13:17such as internal bleeding or a pelvic fracture
13:20from being hit by the car.
13:25Pressure in your tummy, is that OK?
13:30Sorry? You're OK.
13:32You're a very brave girl.
13:34Nina was a brave little girl
13:36and not complaining about any pain,
13:39even though she had, like, cuts all over her where she'd fallen.
13:45After a 15-mile journey,
13:47Nina and her mum arrive 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
14:08to check for any internal injuries that aren't obvious.
14:18It could have been a lot worse. It could.
14:20I'm glad that they're both OK. Yeah.
14:23But 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.
14:36You're all right, mate.
14:39In Dudley, technician Abby and paramedic Emma are with Stephen,
14:43who'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. Well done. You've got to pull your leg over a bit.
15:06And 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
15:23that Stephen does have multiple seizures
15:26and they can be back-to-back, which is concerning,
15:29that if he hasn't got the recovery time between each one,
15:32that he's got a lack of oxygen.
15:34Stephen, can you bob your tongue out for me?
15:37I just want to see if you bit your tongue, that's all.
15:40No tongue's OK.
15:42Sounds like you're a pro at what to do now.
15:47You're used to it, then.
15:49Do you have any sort of, like, warning
15:51that you're going to have a seizure?
15:57OK.
15:59What did you used to do?
16:02Director of marketing for a hotel company.
16:11Was it a big seizure?
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.
16:24Your heart tracing's good.
16:26All 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.
16:37Back in the 80s, I didn't pick up on vagans.
16:40You were just an arsehole.
16:42I think there is more awareness on seizures these days.
16:45They are easily recognised
16:47and people generally talking about them.
16:49However, it is still scary for somebody
16:51that has never seen one before.
16:53So what usually happens when you have a seizure?
16:56Do you usually go to hospital or 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?
17:09I've got to the point where the nurses would tell the doctors
17:12not to bother because I'd do a runner.
17:17As Stephen doesn't have round-the-clock care,
17:20his dad is coming over to keep an eye on him.
17:24Are you happy to stay here, let Dad monitor you?
17:27Yeah, I'll just lie on here and he'll probably put the top gear on.
17:31OK.
17:32Right, well, we will leave you to it.
17:34Obviously, if anything else happens, he has an inseizure,
17:38just give us a call back and we'll come back out.
17:41Well, I'm glad we came out to see you,
17:43because you have given us a bit of a hand.
17:45Yeah, you have, eh? Cheered us up.
17:47Right, all the best. Thank you.
17:49See you later.
17:58I would hate to take him to hospital to...
18:02When they can't do anything for you.
18:04No.
18:05And all it's going to do is distress him, it can make him more poorly.
18:09He wants to just stay at home and be comfortable,
18:12which I don't blame him.
18:14Yeah, I don't blame him either.
18:28Do you like pickled onions?
18:30Um, once in a blue moon.
18:32Love pickled onions.
18:34Just eat them out of the jar, just spoon them out.
18:37What have you bought for food?
18:39I've got an avocado.
18:41Avamacados.
18:43I still love that you call avocados avamacados.
18:46It's great.
18:47That's your bad influence again.
18:49No.
18:50I can't not call it an avamacado now.
18:52It's stuck now, I don't know where it even came from.
18:55Avamacado.
18:56Banane.
18:57Banane.
18:58I mean, your children are even stuck on it now, aren't they?
19:00Yes.
19:01It is a banane.
19:02And even if we're in the shop, I'm like,
19:04would you like to get some banane?
19:06Or should we get some avamacados?
19:08I love that.
19:09Yeah.
19:14Ambulance service, is the patient breathing?
19:16He is breathing, but he's in a lot of pain.
19:19Where'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.
19:31Yep, we'll receive a mobile, thank you.
19:33The patient has abdominal pain, generally unwell,
19:36with shortness of breath, has one kidney,
19:38working 15% to 20% max capability.
19:41Wow.
19:43So many different things that cause you abdominal pain.
19:47It's quite intriguing when it said he only had one kidney working
19:50and that's not working very well.
19:52There's not a lot left.
19:53I know.
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 Danny and this is Lisa.
20:06Hello, Ken.
20:07Tell us a little bit 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.
20:16He's not very well.
20:18He's got one kidney and his other kidney's working at 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 his disability badge form.
20:31Aw.
20:3281-year-old Ken used to work here
20:35and had dropped in to see his colleagues Emma and Graham.
20:39Was he fine initially when he came in to you and sat down?
20:42No, he pops in most weeks and he's usually quite perky
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.
20:58A point to where the pain is.
21:00All around, everywhere.
21:02My first impressions of Ken was he was quite pale.
21:07He looked like he was about to vomit.
21:09He was a little bit shaky and he was struggling to get his words out.
21:13Is there anything that makes the pain worse?
21:15If you move around, does that make it worse?
21:17No.
21:18Can I have a little listen to your tummy?
21:20Perfect. Nice and relaxed.
21:22Do you say you're family?
21:23No, he used to work here.
21:25He was my husband's boss when he first started his apprenticeship.
21:29Then he came to work for my husband.
21:31He'd just pop in. Now you're retired, Ken.
21:33Don't you pop in for a cup of tea and eat all the biscuits?
21:36Is his shake normal?
21:38No.
21:39It is.
21:40I've not seen you shake like that before.
21:42I guess you'd panic at times.
21:44Are they giving you anything to help with the anxiety of them?
21:47I just saw his medication. I don't know what it was.
21:50I just kept myself worked up over it.
21:52OK. And then you had this pain anyway.
21:55I had a pain.
21:56Then you get a bit panicky about it.
21:58OK. Bit of a vicious cycle, isn't it?
22:01And this pain, do you normally get it in waves as well?
22:04It's just...
22:13This...
22:16At one point, I was thinking, like, is he having a stroke?
22:19Because he was really struggling to get his words out.
22:22Really all of a sudden as well, I thought, is things changing?
22:26I mean, it's not been the first time, has it,
22:28that somebody started having a stroke in front of us?
22:31No.
22:32I'm panicking.
22:33You are panicking at the moment.
22:35I know what panic attacks are.
22:37Yeah.
22:38This is...
22:39This is...
22:43Oh, Russia.
22:54We're following seven paramedic crews
22:56as they respond to just some of the 4,000 calls
22:59received by West Midlands Ambulance Service every day.
23:05BEEPING
23:10Oh, my goodness.
23:15On an industrial estate on the outskirts of Worcester,
23:18paramedics Lisa and Danny are treating Ken,
23:21who's having a panic attack.
23:25You're doing really well.
23:27Your oxygen levels are perfect, they're 100%.
23:29You're getting plenty of oxygen in, OK?
23:33OK.
23:39I don't want to go back there. I don't want to go back.
23:42You don't want to go where?
23:43I don't want to go back there.
23:44To a hospital?
23:45To a hospital.
23:46I don't want to go back there.
23:47Ken?
23:49We can't force you to go anywhere, Ken.
23:53Yeah.
23:54You know, you have control of this situation.
23:57We're not going to force you to do anything or go anywhere, OK?
24:01We're here to support you, whether we, you know,
24:04take you to hospital or not take you to hospital.
24:07If you don't want to go, we won't take you.
24:09So I really felt for Ken.
24:11Bless him, he's elderly, he's got lots of chronic conditions,
24:14you know, he's really anxious about all of those things.
24:18And it must be really quite difficult,
24:20because he is on his own at home.
24:22So we just needed to provide him with that reassurance
24:25that he is OK and that we were there for him.
24:28Oh, a cup of tea's pending.
24:30And some biscuits, eh?
24:32So I think you need to speak to your doctor.
24:34Would 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.
24:53Oh, OK.
24:57Oh, 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?
25:16Lisanne, if 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?
25:29Lovely, 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.
25:40I think it says a lot about Ken going back to his workplace, doesn't it?
25:43That he feels really comfortable to go back
25:45and how lovely all the staff were and how welcoming they still are to him.
25:49Yeah, it was like a little family there, wasn't it?
25:51It was... They 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.
26:18Paramedics 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.
26:28All right, just stay nice and calm.
26:30Every 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.
26:42I'm sorry to hear that. I'm very sorry to hear that.
26:46And then once when they tell me exactly what's happened, you know,
26:50then it helps me be able to deal with the call as quick as possible.
26:55But at the start, it is nerve-wracking.
27:01Ambulance service, is the patient breathing?
27:09Is 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.
27:49Very, very shallow.
27:51So we need to carry on then until she starts taking regular breaths
27:55and she's moving normally.
27:57It's really difficult to give instructions regarding CPR,
28:01especially to somebody that has never done it before,
28:05because when doing the compressions, they believe that it's going to hurt them.
28:09But I've just got to reassure them.
28:12I really don't want you to be afraid to push too hard, OK?
28:15I'm going to push out the ribs because this is giving her the best chance possible, OK?
28:18So I need you to push about two times a second.
28:21Say push out loud with every push so I know how fast you are going.
28:26She is moving, she is moving.
28:28See if she can get her to open her eyes.
28:31Yeah, she is moving her eyes, yeah.
28:33So now she's woken up, is that right?
28:36Yes.
28:37So right now, is she breathing in and out evenly now?
28:42Yes, she is.
28:43Right, what we'd recommend then is for you to stay in the line with me, OK,
28:47until the ambulance gets there.
28:50Come in.
28:52When I hear that knock on the door and the paramedic shouting,
28:56Hello!
28:57that gives me a big relief because I now know that the crew is there for the patient.
29:03OK, I can hear the crew then, so what I'll do, I'll leave you with the crew, OK then.
29:07So all the best for you.
29:09OK, you're most welcome. Thank you.
29:11Bye, 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...
29:33They're, like, squeak.
29:38You do it again.
29:42You just sound like a dolphin laughing.
29:44Can you do anything else? You could do a cat.
29:47Yeah, that's good.
29:49Impersonator.
29:50No, impressionist.
29:51Impressionist.
29:52Impressionist.
29:53Oh, God, I can't do it.
29:54Impersonator.
30:02Ambulance 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.
30:10She's been crying nearly all night.
30:12With pain.
30:13And where's the pain the worst at the moment?
30:16Down 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.
30:28Oh, God.
30:29Bit of a concoction of things.
30:31Oh, 66?
30:32Yeah.
30:33It's quite young, really, isn't it?
30:35So we got told that she was fighting for breath
30:37and pain in her legs.
30:38This can indicate that she's having a pulmonary embolism.
30:44Hello.
30:45My name's Courtney.
30:47This is Parker.
30:48Hello, darling.
30:49How can we help? What's been happening?
30:51I've got terrible back pain.
30:53OK.
30:54It started all last week.
30:56It's just so painful.
30:58It's just not going away.
31:00It's from the, like, middle and lower back
31:05all 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?
31:25Pamela didn't look very well, bless her.
31:27She looked really uncomfortable, didn't she, as well?
31:29The thing is, with back pain,
31:31there's so many different things that can be going on.
31:33It could be trauma, if they had a fall.
31:36Is it something on the inside of the body going on
31:39that we're not aware of?
31:40Have you had it before this week,
31:42or is this week just brand-new for yourself?
31:44First is new.
31:45You haven't fallen or anything, injured your back?
31:47No.
31:48So, a week ago, lower back pain,
31:51and was it shooting down your leg when you saw your doctor?
31:54Yes.
31:55Did he mention, like, sciatica?
31:56Sciatica, yeah.
31:57OK.
31:58The sciatic nerve is the longest in the body
32:01and runs down each leg from the lower back.
32:04If it gets compressed, it can cause severe pain.
32:08With sciatica, it can be normal for the pain in the middle of your back
32:12and to shoot down your legs.
32:14Have you been mobilising as normal today?
32:17No.
32:18No.
32:19I mean, I only walk about with a break.
32:22As well as severe back pain, Pamela also has asthma.
32:27How is your breathing at the moment?
32:29Well, it's quite laboured because I'm in so much pain.
32:32I'm going to be your pain in the bum.
32:34I'm going to need you to try and stand for me, if you can,
32:37so 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.
32:50We didn't want to cause an asthma flare-up as well.
32:52You do what you normally would do, OK, just like we're not here.
32:59OK.
33:03That was a good one.
33:05How do you feel now you're standing?
33:08It hurts.
33:09It hurts. Can I have a little feel? Is that all right?
33:12Yeah.
33:13Any pain up here?
33:14It's just all right there.
33:16There.
33:17Do you reckon you could do a few steps or not at all?
33:20No, I need to sit down.
33:21No worries. Have a seat for us.
33:23There we go.
33:25Since you've been sat down, have you been more painful?
33:28It's been more painful.
33:30Right, sweetheart.
33:32Is it going to be a trip up to the hospital?
33:35What do you think? They can do anything.
33:37It's how you feel, how you think you can manage here.
33:42I don't feel I can manage at the moment.
33:45There's your answer then, yeah.
33:46Pop you up to the hospital,
33:47see 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?
34:08I would say it's about an eight.
34:10Before you come, it was about a 20.
34:12OK. So it's about an eight.
34:15What about when you stand up?
34:17Oh, 20.
34:18Yeah.
34:19OK.
34:20To help ease Pamela's pain, Parker offers her gas and air,
34:24a painkiller commonly used during childbirth.
34:27Would you like to give this a go?
34:29Before we move?
34:30Before we move, to see if it might make you feel a bit funny.
34:33Oh, no, I'd better move first.
34:35Yeah.
34:36Right, in your own time.
34:41You're quick when you're up.
34:43Got to do it quick, otherwise you never get up.
34:45Right, there you go.
34:46Yeah.
34:47Bit further, that's it.
34:48You're on.
34:49There we go.
34:50You're on, darling.
34:52With Pamela secure on the chair,
34:54Parker and Courtney prepare to take her to the ambulance.
34:58Are you sure you don't want any of that pain relief?
35:00Shall we give you some before we move?
35:02Yeah.
35:03Just...
35:05Can we just go?
35:06Get going, yeah?
35:08Right, let's strap you in.
35:10Might be a bit of a bumpy ride.
35:12This is the worst pain. Is this a 20 now?
35:14This is a 30.
35:15A 30?
35:17Right, a few bumps, all right.
35:21To the west of Birmingham, in Albury,
35:24paramedics Courtney and Parker are treating Pamela,
35:27who has severe back pain.
35:30Have a little rock if you need to, and then go on three.
35:33One, two, three.
35:36OK, Mum.
35:37You did it.
35:41I'm going to swing your legs up now, OK?
35:45How's that pain laying down flat?
35:48It's about a 10.
35:50About a 10? So we've gone from a 30 to a 10?
35:53Yeah.
35:54It's really hard to see someone like Pamela in pain
35:57because you just want to be able to take it away from them,
36:00and I really empathise with people
36:02that are really struggling like that.
36:04Do you want some of that gas and air?
36:06No, I'll be all right.
36:07You'll be all right? Shall I pop it here just in case?
36:10Yeah.
36:11Cos you know what Birmingham's like,
36:13there'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?
36:27When 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?
36:45He was my supervisor at work.
36:47Oh, he wasn't, was he?
36:51I think I am nosy talking to a patient about their life,
36:54but I do it to reassure them, so it's what they're comfortable with,
36:57it's what they know, and it distracts them from what's going on.
37:01In A&E, medical staff will try to find out
37:04why Pamela's back pain has suddenly got so much worse.
37:09You are going nowhere, don't you? We've got you, sweetheart.
37:12We're not going to let you go.
37:14There you go.
37:16MUSIC CONTINUES
37:35Andrew's going out tonight to the commandery at Worcester.
37:38Bit of a ghost thing at night. Oh, never.
37:41Candlelit. I don't know whether I'm into that.
37:44My wife pleasing ghosts, but I'm like, ah, no, it's a load of rubbish.
37:47I don't know. A load of rubbish.
37:49I don't know. What would a ghost sound like?
37:51Ooh...
37:54That's what they sound like.
37:56No, they don't make a noise, do they?
37:58They just appear and just...
38:00Yeah, I don't think... I'm going to go with they don't make a noise.
38:03Yeah.
38:05Well, they make a noise, it's like, bang.
38:07Oh, what was that? You know.
38:09MUSIC CONTINUES
38:13Is the call about yourself or somebody else?
38:16Somebody else. None of that.
38:18So, Mindy's had a bit of a cold for the past week,
38:21which has developed a cough.
38:23It's turned into, like, a hoarsely cough.
38:25She's got gasping for air.
38:29Four months. Had a cold for the last week.
38:31Now, croaky cough.
38:33How old's the kid? Four months.
38:36Yeah. I mean, a kid that young,
38:38we're certainly not going to be discharging... No.
38:41..as being safe without seeing someone else. No, that's it.
38:44Dealing with babies is always a worry, especially four months.
38:47They can't tell you what's wrong with them.
38:49Things change very fast.
38:54OK. Hello there.
38:56Hiya.
38:58So, what's happened tonight?
39:00Hello there.
39:02Hello.
39:04Oh, jolly little kid.
39:06So, what's concerned you?
39:08So, she's had a cough the last couple of days.
39:11Yeah.
39:12But then this evening, it's got, like, a lot worse,
39:15so she's coughing and she's, like, wheezing and gasping for breath.
39:18Is it like a barking type sound? Yeah, yeah.
39:20Yeah, yeah.
39:21When four-month-old Maisie was coughing and struggling to breathe,
39:24mum Chelsea rang for help.
39:27Dad Gavin is also here.
39:29So, it's just come on quite suddenly.
39:32The croakiness has, yeah.
39:34But it's only been, like, the past couple of hours
39:37where it's been quite croaky.
39:39But then she started wheezing and gasping for breath,
39:41so we got a bit worried.
39:42OK, all right.
39:44So, we'll have a little listen.
39:46OK, OK. Yeah.
39:48Ever so jolly.
39:50OK, if you sit her up so I can have a listen to her,
39:53I can listen to it just down the back of her baby grey, that's fine.
39:56Oh, 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.
40:08Yeah. Yeah.
40:10Oh, dear.
40:11Babe Maisie looked quite well, considering.
40:15However, it's quite evident she got a barking-type cough,
40:18which 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...
40:31You'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.
40:39That's it.
40:4235.4. Let me try that again.
40:44These aren't particularly...
40:46We have got another one, I think, to try.
40:48Neil tries to check Maisie's temperature for signs of infection,
40:52but he's finding it difficult to get an accurate reading.
40:56Right, let's see.
40:58So, 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,
41:10we probably always recommend hospital.
41:13It's very difficult to assess a child in the community. Yeah.
41:16I'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.
41:27Neil needs to take a spot of blood from Maisie's heel
41:30to check her blood sugar levels.
41:32It 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. I can't do it with the baby.
41:40It's more for Neil's sake. Yeah, yeah.
41:42Honestly, yeah. I 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.
42:03Well done. Good girl.
42:05That's it.
42:07I didn't know about that.
42:09That's impressive. No 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.
42:27With Maisie's observations complete, she can now head for hospital.
42:32Is it just worrying? Yeah, no.
42:34That's it. Babies bring worries.
42:36They can get ill quite quickly as well.
42:38Like I say, they're all... How do you overcome that?
42:41They're all at one minute and then suddenly you think, oh, OK.
42:44That's what I was worried about. But they also jump back as well.
42:47Yeah. You know, that's the problem.
42:49So 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...
43:01And 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.
43:08Look at you, eh? So cute.
43:11She hates going into her car seat. Oh, no.
43:14Yeah, as soon as she'll start moving.
43:17Oh, will we be all right? Yeah.
43:19Oh, yeah. I can see... No, she doesn't want to go in it.
43:22Not like she's been in it every day of her life.
43:26Bless her. Good girl.
43:28I want to act like that.
43:34All right then, Neil. OK.
43:37She doesn't seem to be in pain.
43:39Sometimes babies, like, scream a horrible sort of...
43:43Really horrible cry. You haven't noticed anything like that?
43:46She's singing. I don't think she's in pain.
43:49But she has been crying a lot. Right.
43:52She's been quite clinky. Oh, OK.
43:54I don't know if that's because she's under the weather.
43:57Maybe. She just wants to be close. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
43:59But she's quite a chilled out baby, normally.
44:01Yeah, no, looks it.
44:03Over there, Neil. Yep.
44:05Maisie arrives at Birmingham Children's Hospital.
44:08Do you want me to carry her? Oh, go on, Neil.
44:10Thank you. Be a gentleman.
44:12There you go. Thank you.
44:13Shiver is not dead. It's a long time since I've done this.
44:16That's it.
44:18Brings nightmares, doesn't it, Neil? Yeah.
44:22Here, Maisie will be seen by the paediatricians
44:25to investigate the cause of her barking cough
44:28and to see what can be done to ease her breathing.
44:39What a cute little baby. Yeah.
44:41The cutest baby you've ever seen.
44:43With the hat on. So jolly.
44:45Yeah, real jolly little baby.
44:47You can never be 100% what's going on with the little baby.
44:50That's the thing, isn't it?
44:52So, needs a proper check.
44:54They're just too small. Hopefully 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.
45:34Scans 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.
45:53Her blood pressure was significantly high,
45:56giving her a massive risk of having a really big stroke.
46:00A man has collapsed with a potentially life-threatening infection.
46:04Do you feel a bit feverish, Gerald?
46:07Your daughter says you haven't been quite right.
46:10Gerald's temperature was quite high.
46:12It could suggest sepsis, which can be fatal.
46:15And the young woman is in agony.
46:17On a scale of one to ten, ten being your arm ripped off, 11.
46:21She was in quite a lot of pain.
46:23She'd already taken her own pain relief and it just wasn't working.
46:36.