Ambulance Catch up, Series 8: Episode 5 on BBC 1

Ambulance

Series 8: Episode 5

It's another night shift for ambulance crews in Lancashire, and 999 calls are coming in at a rate of one every 15 seconds. A call concerning a 100-year-old patient causes concern for crewmates Holly and Isaac. They can see that the patient is lying on the floor, but they can’t get in and will have to wait for the fire brigade to come and gain entry to the house. Once inside, they learn that all isn’t as it first seemed.\n \nMeanwhile, a patient who has been found slumped on a front doorstep is the next call for crewmates Anne and Matt. The patient is an alcoholic and homeless. As the crew get to know the patient, they find that he has no family or friends, and his plight is impacting his mental health. It’s a job that resonates for Anne, who is candid about her own struggles with mental health. \n \nIn Blackpool, a call regarding a patient who is threatening to walk into the sea in order to kill himself becomes the next priority for the service. It is a job suited for Blackpool’s specialist mental health triage car, staffed tonight by mental health nurse Vicky and paramedic Andy. They arrive to find that police officers have successfully prevented him from walking into the sea. The patient has been receiving messages over social media from people who claim to be his friends but have encouraged him to take his life. It falls to Vicky to try to comfort him and find him a bed for the night. \n \nMonday is the first day back at school for thousands of children across the region after months of lockdown. Nutan and Carole are dispatched to a patient who is experiencing chest pain. As they transfer the patient to hospital for further assessment, their conversation about lockdown takes an unexpected turn. It turns out that the patient has been locked in for much longer than the paramedics understood. \n \nAs the busy day shift continues to prove a challenge for the service, a call for a patient who has been waiting two hours for an ambulance takes priority for Anne and Matt. The patient is found cold on the floor, and the crew spend time caring for her, including washing her feet. The patient is adamant that if she goes to hospital, she may not come out again alive. After some gentle persuasion, she agrees to go with the crew, but en route she takes a sudden and unexpected turn for the worst. It becomes clear on arrival at the hospital that it will fall to Anne to make a difficult call to her family.

Source: BBC 1

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