East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) will feature in a Channel 4 documentary series which airs Monday 7 October 9pm, which has the potential to attract three million viewers.
999: What’s Your Emergency? follows incidents from the moment the initial 999 calls are received, as ambulances are dispatched and the ambulance crew arrive on the scene. But it also goes beyond to explore why the call was made and find out what happened after the medics left.
The six part series follows ambulance staff who know every call they race to could involve a person’s life being at risk. Each week there will be a specific theme: Young People, Alcohol, Mental Health, Life & Death, Older people and Birth & Childhood.
In the first episode ‘Young People’, Glenn Radford and Isabel Langon are called to help a student who has taken an overdose of anti-depressants and has drunk hair bleach.
The teenager is fortunate to go home after two days in hospital though there are worries that she may be pregnant after missing her period.
Glenn Radford, Nottinghamshire paramedic said: “I genuinely hope the series shows people the very varied, strange, emotional and exciting job that my colleagues and I do. I hope they now see the fantastic people who continually do an excellent job in what is often very challenging circumstances.”
He continued: “It’s very challenging trying to be everything for everyone: social worker, psychologist, cardiologist, GP. The public expect so much now but I love helping people and trying to make a difference and every now and again that I get to be part of a team of professionals who save a person’s life.”
Dave Winter, Nottinghamshire South Locality Manager, said: “Initially we had a small group of volunteers for the series which steadily grew over time. As filming progressed the staff really got into it the spirit of things and enjoyed showcasing their skills. We hope the documentary will offer real insight into our service to the public.”
Last year, Channel 4’s first series of 999: What’s Your Emergency? followed the police, fire and ambulance staff in Blackpool to highlight the work of the emergency services.
This year the series will directly focus on three of England’s ambulance services: East Midlands, London and East of England.
The social media hashtag #999whatsyouremergency allows the loyal following from the last series to engage with issues as they watch.
