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Ambulance

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Factual: Health & Wellbeing

Documentary series taking a detailed look at ambulance services.

Life and death decisions on the frontline. From control rooms to the crews on the street, meet the people making sure every second counts.

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Ambulance: Series 3

Christopher Eccleston

Kirsty Cunningham

Simon Ford

Ben Rumney

Chris McLaughlin

Jo Hughes

Dragonfly Film and Television

Ambulance: Series 3: Episode 1

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Episode 1

Series 3

BBC One - Ambulance, Series 3, Episode 1

A day shift takes an unexpected turn for two West Midlands Ambulance Service paramedics.

A day shift takes an unexpected turn for West Midlands Ambulance Service paramedics when a 999 call about an unconscious patient suddenly becomes very personal.

This first episode opens with West Midlands Ambulance Service call assessor Shanie as she deals with the cries of a woman in labour. Shanie has just graduated from training, but with a supervisor watching over, she calmly guides the caller through delivering the baby. When she hears the paramedics arrive, she can safely leave the caller and the newborn in safe hands, and is thrilled to have successfully helped deliver the baby over the phone.

Among the 242 crews on duty across the West Midlands are Nat and Nat. It's a special day for Nat Greaves as it's her daughter Jessica's 16th birthday. Jessica's birth was traumatic for mother and baby, and this is a birthday her family never believed she'd be here to celebrate.

Dispatched to an elderly fallen patient, Shirley, the crew find her face down on the landing with a broken ankle. What they also discover is a tale of human strength and a message to live each day. It leads Nat Greaves to reflect on her decision to become a paramedic aged 34 after being inspired by the help she received in her times of need. 

The service receives a call from a community centre with concerns for the safety of a man showing signs of agitation. Fearing the patient could harm himself, a specialised mental health team is sent to the scene. The team is a collaboration between three emergency services - police, mental health and ambulance - and aims to make sure patients in psychological distress get the care they need and aren't held unnecessarily held at police stations or A&E. Daniel reveals he hasn't taken his medication for three weeks, and mental health nurse Harriet takes the time to listen to what Daniel is experiencing. She worries symptoms of his schizophrenia have returned and encourages him to return to hospital. Daniel agrees, but the problem is they need to find a suitable bed. While they wait, Harriet learns Daniel has a talent for writing music, and finds he calms down when showing examples on his phone.

In the meantime, an emergency call comes into control with reports that a 16-year-old girl has been taken ill at school and is unconscious. It turns out to be Nat's daughter, Jessica. Her mother rushes to hospital to intercept the ambulance that is carrying her daughter. Jessica regains consciousness and Nat spends the night by her bedside. With her daughter safely back at home with Dad, Nat insists on returning for her next scheduled shift the following evening.

Nat and Nat are dispatched on a call where reports are that a patient is believed to be deceased. They arrive to find a suicide by hanging, and this is the first time Nat has attended to a patient who has taken their own life.

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Documentary series providing a revealing insight into West Midlands Ambulance Service.

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