Series films paramedics during Covid-19 crisis

Even if we’re no longer standing on the doorstep to applaud them every Thursday, most viewers are still very grateful for the work NHS staff have done over the past few months.

Just in case anyone was tempted to take them for granted, the new series Paramedics: Britain’s Lifesavers, which was filmed at the peak of Covid-19 pandemic in April, is here to show us some of the challenges they faced.

The programme-makers were granted exclusive access to the West Midlands Ambulance Service, and follow the crews, control room staff and managers as they deal with the biggest ever challenge to the service.

The people behind the programme know that it will make for inspiring viewing, even as it brings us some hard-hitting real-life stories and explores the devastating impact of the pandemic. West Midlands Ambulance Service Chief Executive, Anthony Marsh, says: “Allowing Channel 4 access to WMAS will enable us to show the extraordinary lengths that staff in every part of our organisation are going to, to meet the challenge of coronavirus head on. I am immensely proud of the work my staff are doing every single day to ensure we provide world class care and save lives.”

Richard Bond, Creative Director for Dragonfly Film & TV, added: “Our access to West Midlands Ambulance Service will give viewers an insight into how staff operate on the frontline during this unprecedented crisis, showing the absolutely vital role they play in helping to manage the threat across the country.”

As well as working extremely hard, they also face some tough decisions, and the series will show what it takes to keep the service going and some of the human costs involved.

The first episode makes clear the sheer scale of the job as, at its peak, the West Midlands was the hardest hit area in the UK outside London. On its busiest day, the 111 call centre experienced a staggering 300 per cent increase in volume, with only four per cent of calls answered. We’re introduced to 18-year-old student Ollie and 55-year-old retired sales manager Jackie who are trying to squeeze five weeks of call-handler training into just a fortnight as they attempt to keep up with the huge demand. They’re potentially not the only ones being thrown in at the deep end as, to get more ambulance onto the frontline, managers deploy student paramedics.

Twenty-one-year-old Sam and 20-year-old Caitlyn hit the road, and find themselves attending call outs at care homes and dealing with patients with breathing difficulties. But they also experience some of the wider impacts of the Covid-19 epidemic as they encounter patients who are struggling with mental health issues, some of which have been exacerbated by the isolation of lockdown. But then Caitlyn become ill with Covid-19 symptoms after just two shifts and needs a test. It’s another reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices that frontline workers have made.

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