To think that the programme Ambulance doesn't show paramedics in a good light at all?

[LucyLaundry]

I'm am very grateful for all emergency workers and the difficult pressures they are currently under is awful and it's certainly not a job I could do.

However, I'm shocked at the amount of intrusive questions (Asking elderly people why they never had children?) and the general gossiping about patients. I understand the need to pass on factual updates but some of the story sharing is wholly inappropriate.

I enjoy the programme but it's really opened my eyes, and not in a good way!

They will say stuff back to the dispatcher because it makes a huge difference
A call handler will sit there and take a call and give CPR advice and often have no idea if the patient lives or dies. Then the next call and the next
It makes such a difference if someone comes and tells you an update or even something like oh they've been married 50 years! You don't gossip about it, you just kind of go "aw" and move on

There's nothing worse than going home after a baby not breathing and picturing hell in your head, when someone comes and says "baby is recovering in hospital and mum says thank you"

I think they are all amazing, it be so draining rushing from one job to the next.

We used to have an information sheet that we filled in for paramedics to refer to. Along with the obvious info about age, medical conditions, prescriptions, emergency contacts etc there was a section for interests/life events to help paramedics chat to him. Very useful for calming a possibly panicking and stressed patient. It seems obvious to pass that info on for other HCPs to use as well.

The smiling call handler was responding nervously. By the end of the programme when was in tears. I think that she handled herself well. BTW I don't always think that they always have the most professional response, but they have such a difficult job to do under impossible circumstances.

I’m all for the banter too! Some of my health issues have left me with very little dignity and I’ve been mortified, so making light of the situation and having a laugh with the paramedics helps me feel more at ease. You never know what situations they’ve already dealt with that day. The fact they can still treat the next patient with empathy and a smile seems like professionalism to me!

those sort of questions can be another way of establishing a history 🤷‍♀️

do you have children (is there any nok to make decisions, any family support, do we need to refer to SS)

no? Why is that then? (Choice, infertility, or oh hang on it’s because I had leukaemia at 25 which left me with multiple medical
issues I forgot to mention in the heat of the situation)

sometimes a seemingly random question can shed light on that persons circumstance and assist with treatment.

Nurses talking callously about how the bed will be free in a couple of hours in earshot of the family of a very unwell, severely disabled relative comes to mind.

You are being very unfair.

Why are you so offended by them talking about an anniversary?

Id rather ‘small talk’ and them building a rapport with me than feeling they don’t t value me as an individual.

its not gossip ffs. As a healthcare professional I enjoy learning about my patients lives. I think you’re finding something in nothing here, maybe turn your tv channel to something less troublesome like CBeebies

It's a TV show. They edit it to make it vaguely interesting or thought provoking. If it's very anti ambulance then the producers are probably tax avoiding Tory donors or something.
I've had 2 EMTs shouting at eachother, huffing at the patient, nearly dropping them down the stairs and out the ambulance. I've also had amazing ones which are the majority.
I'd say if I was the patient I certainly would not consent to being filmed and used for entertainment purposes when at my most vulnerable. I wonder how much they sell the filming rights for? I guess it's an income stream for the ailing NHS.

Disgusting behaviour. I do fully agree with this, some nurses have 0 empathy or respect for patients and just should not be in a caring profession full stop.

This!!! They can absolutely tell very quickly how to best communicate with their patient. Banter and small talk is a 2 way street. The ability to be able to do that is the opposite of being unprofessional in my option .

I liked it at first but the endless attempts to try and make out the NHS functions when we all know it doesn't, grates after 20 minutes.

Passing someone onto MH services etc. They barely exist.

The NHS is largely all smoke and mirrors and jobs for the boys.

Mmm I think you can see the faults from the programme

The poor paramedics have a few moments to develop a rapport with a patient. Some of the questions e.g. what do you do for a living are about developing that rapport but also about how to explain things, because asking what level of education do you have wouldn’t come across well!

Of course sometimes healthcare professionals get it wrong, they are only human. At the moment they are doing an incredibly stressful busy job.

I’ve been most surprised by what people call an ambulance for, when other services would have been more appropriate.

I don't really like these types of shows but what I like about the ambulance one is it does show the paramedics in a very human way - they become likeable and I find myself empathising a great deal. Wholly unlike the police ones which couldn't scream propaganda louder if there was a UK-wide law that we all be seated by 8pm ready to watch the latest instalment of the very nice police officer arresting the very bad lollipop lady.

I was a nurse for many years, you know the ones who will enjoy a joke and those who you take a different approach too…paramedics do a fabulous job, could you do their job OP?

The ambulance program is very scripted, according to ex dispatchers on here. Apparently it's not usual to give a full update to control after every call. Only if something bad has happened. So I wouldn't worry about it.

my partner is a paramedic tech, and honestly, you have NO fucking idea.

Before we were together we were at an event he was working as medical volunteer, and i was in another role, i fell quite ill (near collapse due to an emergency that meant i missed important meds) and he switched from 'friend' to 'medic' and i've never felt so safe and reassured than when he slid into his work patter to keep me from panicking and making things worse, all while arranging for friends to get my meds from my hotel room, someone else to get me food, even helping me back to my room and contacting my team to let them know i was being taken off shift.

It might not be 'appropriate' to you, but when you're in that situation, sick, and scared, having someone be personable, funny, and kind can make the world of difference.

@Oheighthundreddoubleohtensixtysix I remember that one. She visibly flinched when the next patient mentioned it. I'm
Not sure I'd have been able to just carry on like she did. Hats off to her.

I don't understand why you think it doesn't show Paramedics in a good way. They're human beings dealing with extremely scary situations at times. They deserve so much more credit than they get.

Last year I had to call for Paramedics a lot over the space of a few weeks for a poorly relative. Every single time they turned up they were amazing, even the ones that were about to finish their 12 hour shift when another job had come in!

I cannot praise the Ambulance service enough.

Now I'm going to watch last nights episode because I forgot it was on!

I watch Ambulance and I’d rather have any of the lovely paramedics on there attend a loved one than the two who came to us when my poor MIL was terminally ill with cancer and came to transfer her from her home to the hospice.

They hardly spoke a word to us, no small talk or made us feel at ease at all despite dh and I trying to instigate some kind of conversation, it was very uncomfortable.

They still do a very difficult job and I dare say most are brilliant with people but as I say, the ones we got were not the friendliest of folk. Give me any off the Ambulance program anytime.

I watch the show and have never taken that from it at all, so I don’t agree OP.

I felt nothing but gratitude for the paramedics who turned up and blue-lighted me to hospital after I was hit like an express train with pneumonia last year.

I imagine some of the 'chit chat' is aimed at gently prompting people on bits of their medical history they wouldn't mention otherwise. And banter trying to relax patients to reveal important things.