Ambulance Catch up, Series 15: 3. School Run Collision on BBC 1

Ambulance

Series 15: 3. School Run Collision

As the day shift begins, Yorkshire’s roads are at their busiest, with rush hour incidents generating almost a quarter of the ambulance service’s workload. In control, call handlers field a stream of traffic-related emergencies when a new 999 call reports a 17-year-old knocked off his motorbike by a van. Paramedic Kerrie and ambulance practitioner Kirsty are dispatched and arrive to find Joey lying in the middle of the road with severe leg pain. \n\nThe crew suspect Joey has broken his leg, and they need to administer pain relief before they can take him on blue lights to Leeds General Infirmary. As they treat him, another urgent call comes in - this time for a five-year-old struck by a car on his way to school. Ambulance crew Jen and Steph are dispatched to young Harry, who has an egg-sized lump on his head. Harry is very frightened, but he is reassured by the calm professionalism of the crew, who advise a trip to hospital for further checks.\n\nKirsty and Kerrie are dispatched to a 57-year-old man experiencing heart attack symptoms. They find Paul doubled over in the driver’s seat of his van, clutching his chest in severe pain. An ECG reveals a blockage in his heart, and as his discomfort intensifies, the crew need to pre-alert the nearest cardiology unit at Leeds General Infirmary, where specialists are waiting to fit him with a life-saving stent.\n\nSigning on for another 12-hour shift in Leeds, Kirsty and Kerrie are dispatched to a 75-year-old woman with chest pain. As they approach the house, they recall visiting the patient before. An ECG rules out a serious heart problem, but her husband Rod confides that his wife, Jennifer, often panics since being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a condition that has blighted their retirement. He breaks down as he remembers the better days they once shared before the illness took a grip. Now, as Jennifer’s sole carer, Rod has spent the last ten years devoted to looking after her. With Jennifer feeling anxious, the decision is made to take her to hospital for blood tests, and the crew are moved by Rod and Jennifer’s remarkable story of unconditional love.\n\nAt peak demand, with over 200 calls an hour and 140 patients waiting across Yorkshire, a 999 call is answered by call handler Maisie, reporting an acid attack. Specialist critical care paramedic Rachel is among nine ambulance resources sent to the scene. The caller is claiming that the victims are trapped in the boot of a car, but the emergency crews are suspicious. It soon becomes clear the caller is in fact a hallucinating drug user, and when the boot is opened, there are no victims. For call handler Maisie, the stress of the call takes a toll, and senior colleagues step in to support her as she is given a moment outside the control room to recover.\n\nWith the team at scene standing down, a new emergency comes in for a pregnant woman who has gone into labour. With ambulance delays stretching up to two hours and no vehicles free in the area, critical care paramedic Rachel is dispatched. She arrives on scene 20 minutes after the baby is born and is relieved to find the newborn in good health. Rachel assists the proud father as he cuts the cord, and then oversees the delivery of the placenta. Half an hour later, an ambulance crew arrives to take mum Rebecca and her baby to hospital for checks.\n\nAs the final hour of the shift approaches, an elderly man phones 999, fearing he is having a heart attack. Once again, Kirsty and Kerrie have to navigate rush hour traffic in order to reach Peter, who explains he has an irregular heartbeat. While they carry out their checks, Peter shares stories of his globetrotting dancing career. The crew recommend a trip to hospital, but Peter politely refuses, determined to stay at home. Before they leave, he demonstrates a few ballroom moves, proving he’s still got it at the age of 92.\n\nFrom collisions on crowded roads to heart attacks and new life arriving, the episode captures the relentless pressures and extraordinary dedication of Yorkshire’s Ambulance Service.

Source: BBC 1

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