Catch up TV

Series 15: 4. Stranger in the Dales

Set in the city of Bradford and the picturesque Yorkshire Dales during Easter Bank Holiday weekend, this episode reflects the powerful sense of community that runs through rural Yorkshire. \n\nAs Easter Saturday begins, Barney and his crewmate Chloe are dispatched to a young woman reported to be having a seizure. On arrival, they find Caitlin surrounded by concerned members of the public on the roadside. But as the crew assess her, it becomes clear she is in the middle of a mental health crisis. Caitlin explains she is from Ipswich and has somehow ended up in the Dales after being discharged from York Hospital, where she was being treated for her ongoing mental health issues. In the ambulance, she opens up about self-harm and hearing voices. Barney listens with empathy, and determined to secure longer-term support, arranges for Caitlin to undergo an assessment at Airedale Hospital. \n\nAnother shift begins with a call from a worried neighbour, following a gas leak. Having not seen her elderly neighbour since the leak occurred, the caller fears the worst and so raises the alarm. Bradford-based crew Pete and Georgina are dispatched to the emergency as the call handler urgently instructs residents to leave the scene. Minutes of anxious waiting follow, until finally 80-year-old Christine appears at the door, very much alive and well. It’s a false alarm, and Christine escapes with nothing worse than an unexpected early wake-up call from the ambulance service.\n \nWith 87 patients waiting for an ambulance across the county, Pete and Georgina are dispatched to help Tony, who has been waiting more than three hours after accidentally taking an overdose of medication. By the time they arrive, Tony’s symptoms are worsening, and he is shaking uncontrollably, so the crew decide the safest option is to take him straight to Bradford Royal Infirmary. On the way, Pete chats with Tony about his long career as a Labour councillor. It’s a conversation that strikes a chord, as Pete once worked for the council himself before joining the ambulance service at the comparatively late age of 51. \n\nOver in Ingleton, Barney and Chloe are one of ten crews covering the Yorkshire Dales when they are dispatched to 84-year-old Muriel, who is experiencing chest pain. Greeted by a concerned neighbour and a community first responder who is already on scene, the crew quickly get up to speed by carrying out further tests. While talking, Chloe realises that her grandparents are close friends of Muriel’s family, a demonstration of the close-knit ties within the Dales. When the results of Muriel’s tests come back as reassuring, and mindful that the Easter weekend could delay things, the crew decide it is safe to leave her at home. Afterwards, Barney reflects on how some families in the Yorkshire Dales have lived side by side for centuries, bound by generations of care and connection. \n\nIn Bradford, Pete and Georgina are dispatched to 61-year-old Martin, who has collapsed at home. Travelling to scene, they learn he has been stuck outside since the night before and was only discovered when his brother arrived to help clean the house. Martin has struggled with his mental health for many years and has previously been sectioned. Because he has been on the floor for such a long time, the crew decide he should be taken to hospital for checks. On the way, they also notice how unsuitable his accommodation is for his mobility and set in motion a referral to social care. \n\nBack in the Dales, Barney and Chloe are dispatched to help a young child placed into emergency foster care. On scene, they are humbled by the work of a foster mum, Dem, whose determination to give vulnerable children a better quality of life shines through. After the child is treated, the roles are unexpectedly reversed as Dem shares words of wisdom that resonate with Barney, who opens up about his own struggles as a parent to a disabled child. Her compassion gives him renewed confidence and inspires him to believe he can be the best dad he can be. \n\nFrom rural villages to traditional working towns, this episode shows how Yorkshire’s ambulance crews navigate moments of fear, compassion and connection, as well as ill health, where the strength of community can prove as vital as the care itself.

Source: BBC 1