Now it’s just the sort of television that makes the Tory party think the BBC is full of lefties determined to bring down the government but my god, the current BBC documentary series following the London Ambulance Service – ‘Ambulance’- made for powerful and uncomfortable viewing last night
We know that the NHS is under threat but you realise that cuts to all sections of public sector have only made their job harder. Those with drink, drug and mental problems, the old, infirm and demented as well as timewasters and attention seekers are all in a night and days work.
A man who overdoses on heroin is bought back to life only to throw abuse at the paramedics and leave as soon as he is able to stagger, a woman fakes serious medical conditions, ending up in hospital four times in one day and an old lady with dementia constantly phones 999 for an ambulance despite having been visited by two crew, a district nurse and her daughter already that night. The phone centre operators have the patience of several saints as they try to reassure her only for her to phone again as soon as she thinks they have hung up. Another operator stays on the line with an apparently suicidal man until an ambulance crew can get to him. The few ambulances that are available have to go to the unconscious and unresponsive patient calls first which can lead to people waiting hours in pain.
“The Big Society” of course was a wizard wheeze to get family and friends to care for people because the councils and healthcare centres no longer could afford to. Vulnerable people are being left to their own devices and the emergency services are trying to or rather having to take the strain.
Watching programmes like this not just make you marvel and the care, dedication and resilience of those working at the sharpest end of the medical profession but also how much we take them for granted, how much they are abused by drunks and idiots phoning when they have broken a nail and how much you wish you did a job that was worthwhile. God help us if they get cut back further cos it will all come tumbling down
Wonderful, thought-provoking post. I have a number of friends and family working in the NHS.
And, at the end of a nightmare nightshift, one of the ambulance crews park up to watch the sun rise over central London.
“Isn’t it beautiful? We’re so lucky to witness this.”
I’d be sobbing in the corner after a night like that.
It’s a line of work that I’m astounded that people are able to do. There’s a lot of NHS people being shat on at the moment but these people are getting it more than most.
It was a very humbling view. Having a long term condition for about 28 years including six ops in 2013/14 and many others before that I can’t praise the care I had high enough, including the wonderful ambulance service.
And kudos for posting an NHS thread which along side the BBC seems to vex a couple of people on here, but they are in a tiny minority.
Oh I’m sure the NHS has its problems in the way it is run, how much execs are paid etc ( just like the BBC -arf!)
BUT in the case of the work ambulance crews have to do and the increase of the scope of that work caused by cuts to mental and social health sectors it is astonishing that they continue with such passion and good humour.
The show made me wish I was doing a job like that but probably realise that it would break me in minutes
Absolutely riveting but scary as fuck too. Seems like the whole thing is teetering on the edge of catastrophe.
You do wonder how they can carry on doing it day after day, week after week. Amazed how that advanced paramedic guy with the ear piercings kept so calm and businesslike.
Well said, though haven’t seen the programme.
Nothing but admiration for the ambulance service. I have had occasion to use them on a number of occasions and the paramedics, without exception, have been brilliant not just in the way they carry out their work but their humanity, humour and gentleness. I would imagine you could get stone-hearted working in such a job but that doesn’t appear to be the case with them. They damn near saved my life once when I had a massive blood clot moving around trying to find a place to settle & finish me off. But the occasion I remember is when they stayed with me after pronouncing my mum had died. They almost wouldn’t leave till they were sure I was going to be ok – duty of care above and beyond what’s written in any training manual.
I’ve just been catching up on this series, having reluctantly (at first) watched the first part. I’m getting more emotional about this sort of thing as I slowly slip into my dotage. Moist eyes quite a lot, watching this.
They are showing amazing people keeping it together (just about) under terrific pressure that I’m pretty sure I could not handle and still treating people with compassion and respecting their dignity.
It makes me think that there is a huge gaping hole in our healthcare services and that the current papering over of the cracks is really just not cutting it and there will be a price paid.