Ambulance

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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.

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

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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.

Series 9

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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

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Christopher Eccleston

Simon Ford

Peter Wallis-Tayler

James Robinson

Becky Houlihan

Vicky Munro

Dragonfly Film and Television

Ambulance: Series 9: Episode 1

Episode 1

BBC One - Ambulance, Series 9, Episode 1

New series joins ambulance staff caring for the 2.7 million people of the North East.

A crew from the North East Ambulance Service attends to a family who arrived in the UK just 17 days earlier as refugees from Iraq.

The Bafta-winning series turns its attention to the North East Ambulance Service as the region struggles to bounce back after facing one of the toughest times in its history. The service covers a population of over 2.7 million.

The start of the day shift sees dispatcher Tom begin his seven-mile walk to work. He reflects on his career path from working in the mines, which have now closed, to the ambulance service. As crews start to book on for the 12-hour shift, a call comes in for a patient with chest pain. Sophie and Jack are immediately dispatched, and they find that the patient and his family are refugees from Iraq and arrived on UK shores by boat just 17 days ago. There is concern for both the male patient, who is suffering due to the impact of the trauma he has experienced, and also for his wife, who is seven months pregnant with twins. 
 
In control, a new call is being answered every 17 seconds. Due to this heavy demand, a no-send policy is implemented across the service, meaning only the most acute medical emergencies will now get an ambulance. Crew mates and life partners Kyle and Alex are dispatched to their first patient of the day, a woman with chest pain. The patient has been suffering with anxiety as she recently lost her mother. The case prompts Alex to contemplate how she has to cope without her close family, as she left them behind in Cyprus. 
 
The shift takes a dramatic turn when crewmates Gemma and Katie are dispatched to a road traffic collision. At the same time, multiple calls are coming in for a second traffic accident outside a school. A boy has been knocked down by a motorbike. He is unresponsive, and the crew fear his injuries could be traumatic.  
 
Meanwhile, a call is received from a social worker who is concerned about the welfare of a male patient who is unwell and hasn’t eaten for three days. Kyle and Alex find that the patient hasn’t left his bed for four years. It’s evident by the state of his living conditions that both he and his wife are struggling to cope.  
 
As the shift winds down, Sophie and Jack take the time to check in once again on the refugee family they cared for earlier in the shift. 

These are the real human stories behind the sirens.

Ambulance: Series 9

BBC One

Documentary series following ambulance crews in the north east of England.

The series follows crews from the north east as they struggles to bounce back after one of the toughest times in the service's history.

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Episode 1

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