Editorial

Simulcast of network BBC One in high definition. From 03/11/2010

BBC One HD

Ambulance

Documentaries

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.

ambulance_logo-image-s-260418-pp_v3.jpg

BBC Two

The BBC West region started on 1st September 1957 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One West.

BBC One West

The BBC South West region started on 20th April 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South West.

BBC One South West

Simulcast of BBC One Scotland in high definition. From 14/01/2013

BBC One Scotland HD

Simulcast of BBC One Northern Ireland in high definition. From 24/10/2012

BBC One Northern Ireland HD

The BBC South region started on 5th January 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South.

BBC One South

BBC One London

London

BBC One West Midlands

BBC One region covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

BBC One East Midlands

Simulcast of BBC One Wales in high definition. From 29/01/2013

BBC One Wales HD

The BBC East region started on 1st May 1959 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One East.

BBC One East

BBC One North West

The BBC North East & Cumbria region started in 1959 (tbc) as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One North East & Cumbria.

BBC One North East & Cumbria

BBC One Yorkshire

BBC One Oxfordshire

Formerly part of a wider BBC One South East region that included London and part of the South region. Separated from BBC One London 2001-09-03 following reorganisation of the South East region.

BBC One South East

BBC One Cambridgeshire

BBC One Channel Islands

BBC One Yorks & Lincs

BBC One Scotland

Scotland

BBC Northern Ireland region started on 19th April 1955 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One Northern Ireland.

BBC One Northern Ireland

BBC One Wales

Wales

BBC Two Northern Ireland

Until 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales (analogue) was known simply as BBC Two Wales. BBC Two Wales (digital) was BBC 2W. From 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales schedules on both analogue and digital became identical

BBC Two Wales

BBC Two England

England

Simulcast of network BBC Two in high definition.

BBC Two HD

BBC Two Scotland

Ambulance: Series 3

Christopher Eccleston

Kirsty Cunningham

Simon Ford

Ben Rumney

Chris McLaughlin

Jo Hughes

Dragonfly Film and Television

Ambulance: Series 3: Episode 4

ambulance_s03e04_170518_pp2.jpg

Episode 4

Series 3

BBC One - Ambulance, Series 3, Episode 4

A day shift with paramedic crews brings a spike in mental health cases.

Documentary series. A day shift with paramedic crews from West Midlands Ambulance Service brings a spike in mental health cases.

West Midlands Ambulance Service has seen a 30 per cent rise in calls relating to mental health in the past three years. Paramedics have limited training in mental health, and there are no simple fixes. This episode sees some of the problems and frustrations they experience when trying to help a growing number of their patients who experience the trauma of mental health crises.

The shift starts with a series of category one emergency calls. Nina and Lauren respond to a caller whose mother has stopped breathing and is in cardiac arrest. The call handler in the control centre gives CPR advice over the phone while paramedics travel on blue lights to the scene. The target response time is seven minutes - if they arrive within five minutes, the patient's chance of survival increases by 20 per cent. After delivering the patient to hospital, Nina calls to check in on her own mother, who is recovering from heart surgery.

Nina and Lauren are dispatched when a wife reports that her husband is choking on his food. The choking has stopped by the time the crew arrive, but they learn there is a more serious illness behind the difficulty in eating - the patient, a retired teacher, has only recently been diagnosed with motor neurone disease, and his health is declining fast.

The day takes a surprising turn when a call comes in from a member of the public who has spotted a suicidal message broadcast on Twitter. Holly and the team in Control must play detective to find an address for the Twitter account to make sure the patient gets the care she needs. Paramedic crew Justin and Helen join police in searching the area to find the patient before her threats to harm herself becomes a reality.

At the same time, Dave and Lauren are called to an alcoholic patient who has overdosed. The patient has previously had markers that say he has weapons at his address, but with no police available to assist the crew must decide whether to risk entering without back-up. They find a man who is desperate about the destruction his addiction has caused. Dave draws upon his own difficult past to reach out and connect with his patient.

BBC One

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

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Ambulance

Series 3

Episode 4

Contributors

Genres

Formats

Brand

Series

BBC One HD

About BBC One