Catch up TV

Series 14: 5. Stalker on the Line

London’s call handlers are frustrated as they contend with a sexually abusive caller who has already rung 999 seven times in the past hour. Emergency call coordinator Jude does all he can to stop the caller, but with the abuse coming from a private number, it is impossible to trace his calls, and Jude has no choice but to support his team as they fall victim to a barrage of constant abuse. \n\nIn south west London, ambulance crews are busy caring for people, and demand is rising when a call comes in for a patient who has been stabbed in the chest in Croydon. Paramedics Phillipa and James are immediately dispatched alongside another ambulance, police, an incident response officer and London’s air ambulance, HEMS.\n\nWorking in Wimbledon, crewmates Astrid and Lydia are dispatched to an 85-year-old female with an open ankle fracture after falling down the stairs. Arriving on the scene, they find Enid lying on the floor in extreme pain, with her ankle bone exposed. Enid's concerned neighbours are at a loss for what to do as Enid reveals she has never felt the need for an ambulance before. With the fracture causing Enid agony, advanced paramedic Mark arrives on the scene. Fortunately, he is able to administer stronger pain relief before helping Astrid and Lydia manipulate Enid’s ankle back into the correct position before rushing her to the closest major-trauma hospital. \n\nIn control, eventually the abusive caller makes a call where he forgets to anonymise his number, and his mistake enables the ambulance service to trace him and put an end to his behaviour. This episode highlights the scale of abuse call handlers are exposed to whilst working in frontline emergency care and explores the complexities of dealing with nuisance and frequent callers. It sets out how, even if they take liberties with the service, they retain a right to access emergency health care for when they are genuinely in need. \n \nDispatchers Steph and Lucy have no available ambulances across the south west London patch, and call handlers are answering 200 calls for help every hour. As the service faces delays, a new call comes in for a man who has been hit by a car at a bus stop. Phillipa and James meet Jermaine, who, apart from shock, has escaped with only minor injuries. Nevertheless, he is advised to attend an urgent treatment centre to check him over. Jermaine tells the crew that he left the British Army five years earlier and was out for a run to keep up his training regime. Hearing about a life in the forces resonates with James, who reveals he dreamed of joining the army since he was 14 but failed the selection process due to a hip injury, so instead chose to serve in the ambulance service. \n \nMeanwhile, in Battersea, Astrid and Lydia are dispatched to 23-year-old Erikas, who has had a sudden onset of chest pain whilst working as a London bus driver. As he is checked over by the crew, Erikas reveals both his parents have passed away, and he has been left as the main carer for his younger sister. After taking him to hospital for cardiac investigations, the crew reflect on the toll stress can have on the body, even at a young age. \n \nAs a new night shift begins, Phillipa and James are called to help Jaun, who has had an epileptic seizure. The patient has multiple health challenges, including a genetic neurological and developmental disorder known as Rett Syndrome, and leukaemia. Meeting Juan’s family, the crew are moved by their capacity to offer him the care he needs, and after consulting with clinicians over the phone, they agree that the best course is to leave him at home with his loving family. \n \nIn control, a new 999 call comes in for a patient found unconscious at the side of the road, but there are no available resources to send to him. He joins the 86 other patients Steph and Lucy are currently unable to allocate an ambulance to across London. Eventually, the new patient waits 45 minutes for Astrid and Lydia to arrive. They find he is intoxicated and take him to hospital to sober up. \n \nIn the early hours of the morning, ambulance assistance is requested by police at a road traffic collision where two cars are on fire. Phillipa and James are dispatched alongside the fire brigade and two additional ambulances as the police fear that the vehicles could explode. \n \nAs one ambulance crew assesses a drunk driver responsible for the smash, Phillipa and James stumble across a confused, elderly lady wandering the streets alone in her slippers. She appears to have nothing to do with the accident, but fearing for her safety, the crew do their best to gather details from the patient. However, as she is so confused, they are unable to find out where she lives so are left with no option but to take her to hospital.

Source: BBC 1