When you call 999 for an AMBULANCE this is what happens...........Channel 4.........

[RTKangaMummy]

The Ambulance: 8 Minutes to Disaster Thursday 18 September
9:00pm - 10:00pm
Channel 4
There are so many telling little moments in this excellent documentary, a filmed record of a whole month of call-outs made by ambulance 212 in Reading, Berkshire. My favourite involves the wife of a man who's being taken to hospital after an incident in a club. Genuinely perplexed, she asks a crew member, "Why does he need to go to hospital? Is there something wrong with him?" The fact that her husband is just behind her in the ambulance, flat on his back, covered in blood and unresponsive, seems somehow to have escaped her attention. The crews of ambulance 212 are brilliant - kind, funny (they have a very neat line in entirely necessary gallows humour) and compassionate. Though even their patience is tested by the routine weekend litany of drunks, fights and abuse. Then there are the "regulars", the sad, forgotten members of society who forget to take their medication, or who just want someone to talk to. As a portrait of the underside of 21st-century Britain, this is hard to beat.

RT reviewer - Alison Graham
VIDEO Plus+: 6437

[RTKangaMummy]

1345768431

[RTKangaMummy]

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[nametaken]

and if you liked that, you'll probably love this

www.traumaqueen.net/

[MrsJamin]

cor it's weird watching this as I live in Reading! Some nasty things happen here

[frankiemum]

is it still on? I am going to watch it now..only just got some time to turn on!

[CantSleepWontSleep]

I've been watching for about 10 mins. Loved the comment about the panic attack because they found out their pasty wasn't a Ginsters .

[giraffescantdancethetango]

im watching

[giraffescantdancethetango]

Is that a SA accent he has? cant think what accent it is and Im raking my brains lol

[frankiemum]

i must have missed that. So are all the ambulance drivers paramedics? it must be scary not knowing what you are going to face.

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Yes, SA accent I believe.

[giraffescantdancethetango]

Anyone know how long they have after a job to clean ambulance up? and do they always get that time or just if they say that its a huge mess?

[MrsJamin]

weird - one of the incidents was round the corner from me. how very reassuring

[Anchovy]

We called an ambulance out about 10 months ago - our 6 year old DS fell and smashed his head open on a stone step. Huge gash, blood spurting everywhere, large and inappropriate amounts of skull on view etc.

Paramedics were brilliant. Turned up in about 8-10 minutes. (I think - rightly - they prioritise children with head wounds over people who are pissed and falling over), were calm, kind and businesslike.

They were definitely sussing us out - and I think that is fair enough: call for a child with a serious head injury must raise some issues that need checking, but they could not have been more straightforward and helpful.

DH was bloodsoaked and had DS cradled in his lap, and one of them scooped up DS and the other helped up DH, who immediately virtually keeled over, both from the shock/relief and from having a large child dormant on your lap. They were expecting it!

Can't speak highly enough of paramedics!

[frankiemum]

I remember when my baby fell of the bed..(ok yes i KNOW )
I was in sheer panic , baby screaming called 999 and paramedic came on motorbike.was fantastic. so calm and reassuring..they really are underated pay wise when you think of what they do.

[giraffescantdancethetango]

Me too anchovy.

aww child in ambulance now.

My lovely charge who I had had for a year and a half at the time, had a reflex anoxic seizure, which isnt life threatening but it was his first ever one so I didnt know that I just knew his lips were blue and he was unconcious, was scary, ambulance crew were amazing. Wee charge still talks about it now and he was 2 and a bit when it happened, he remembers it all.

[MarkStretch]

Giraffe - they get as long as it takes to clean up and re-stock.

[RTKangaMummy]

They do work soooooooooooo hard

I would be so frustrated with all the drunk people if I was them