Night shift pressures highlight ambulance staff’s “strength in times of adversity”
The challenges for the London Ambulance Services on a busy night shift were brought into the spotlight in the latest episode of the BBC’s Ambulance. In it, the staff grapple with sustained high demand, having to answer a 999 call every four seconds.
The staff showed “how they maintain their empathy and compassion for patients even under extreme pressure,” such as that presented by a night shift the Ambulance Service said in a press release.
One “especially touching moment” saw Emergency Medical Technician Niamh and Paramedic Izzy being called to give life-saving care to a 62-year-old man suffering from a seizure after a fall. The team administered drugs to stop him having a fit but it did not have an effect, leading to them calling in senior clinicians from the London Air Ambulance for their additional medicine and training.
Later in the episode, Clinical Team Manager Gary reflected on how his wish to help others has attracted him to the Service and how he can now support patients and colleagues in his role. Throughout the episode, Gary steps in “as and when needed,” offering help to an Advanced Paramedic when he is resetting a patient’s badly broken ankle. Later, he offers guidance to crews when a HGV driver is hurt in a road traffic collision.
“This job is often unpredictable,” he said. “The scale and complexity of the calls can vary drastically. We all have a vulnerable side and this job has the ability to expose that. There’s been many moments when I’ve questioned why I am doing this job and then I remember why I am here. I became a paramedic to help people. If I can use my experience to support colleagues then that makes it worth it.”
The BAFTA award-winning show airs on BBC One and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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