Ambulance: Episode 2 (BBC One Thursday 31 August 2023)

Ambulance: Episode 2 airs Thursday 31 August 2023 on BBC One

What can we expect from this episode

It’s been a busy start to the shift so far, with a new 999 call being answered by the North West Ambulance Service every 16 seconds. Aiden, a senior paramedic, is called to assist a patient in category two who has fallen from a tree and sustained an open wrist fracture. Aiden is tending to the patient when a call comes in about a toddler who fell off a balcony and needs his services. The advanced paramedic is diverted, making Aiden the most experienced medical professional at the scene.

In Salford, Aaron and Emily have a patient who has escaped from the hospital and is having a mental health crisis, and they are only seven minutes away from them. The crew initially has no idea what is going on with the patient, but after doing some digging, they decide to take the patient to the hospital. At the same time, Jodie and Tom are helping a man who has been vomiting blood and needs immediate medical attention at Salford Royal Hospital, which is only a mile away.

When control receives word that Aaron and Emily’s former patient has escaped from the hospital and is in danger, 97 crews are already hard at work helping patients across Greater Manchester. As the patient continues to refuse care, Paramedic Aaron returns to try to persuade her. Aaron, a paramedic with only a year of experience, has already found his calling after thinking about the importance of having someone to talk to. We have the unique opportunity to interact with people at their most vulnerable state because we are an ambulance service.

It’s four hours into the shift when an emergency call comes in for a patient who is giving birth in a McDonald’s bathroom because she had no idea she was pregnant. The current crew has called for reinforcements to help with the care of mum and baby. Jodie and Tom, two of the crew members, are sent out right away. The birth takes place in the restaurant’s staff room, and then the baby is rushed to the emergency room.

Shortly after returning their infant patient to their care, Jodie and Tom are called to another emergency involving a patient who is not only unresponsive but also not breathing. Because the patient has been seen with weapons in the past, the crew has been warned to proceed with caution. Upon arrival, they weigh the severity of the reported symptoms against the potential danger to themselves and decide to enter the building. The patient is found to be awake, breathing, and becoming increasingly combative. They had to retreat quickly and wait for the police to help them load him onto the back of the ambulance before they could take him to the hospital.

In the heart of Manchester, senior paramedic Aiden treats a homeless man who has suffered an open leg wound. Aiden has recommended further hospital treatment for the patient, but he has declined. Due to the patient’s status as a homeless person, Aiden is unable to have a doctor visit him, so he respects the patient’s wishes and abandons him on the streets of Manchester.

It’s Monday morning, hour one of the day shift. Aaron and Emily, two of the crew, are sent to check on a 92-year-old man who may have suffered a stroke. They observe the individual having difficulty moving around and advise a visit to the hospital for diagnostic evaluation. When they get there, they’ll have to wait in queue behind seven other ambulances before they can hand off their patient.

This episode exemplifies how the ambulance service goes above and beyond the call of duty to help those in need, particularly those who are vulnerable, when other services have failed them.

Ambulance is a BAFTA winning documentary series giving exclusive insight into how the ambulance service functions amidst the huge challenges it faces. The series meets the people working day in and day out, from paramedics to 999 call operators, to keep on top of the pressure and provide emergency care to the public.

Season 11 Episode 2

When can we see the episode

Ambulance: Episode 2 airs Thursday 31 August 2023 at 21:00 on BBC One

Featured image credit: BBC One