Ambulance: Code Red

A window on to life-or-death incidents in the fast-paced world of the most specialised emergency first responders.

Medics rush to a 60-year-old woman with suspected multiple injuries, trapped in her car, and to a 36-year-old knife attack victim, who has extensive injuries to his neck and face.

10am, Wrexham. After reports that a one-tonne hay bale has landed on a farmer's head in a remote location, Critical Care Paramedic Will Meadows and Dr Steve Dauncey are immediately scrambled on board Helimed 03.

The farmer John reportedly has blood coming from his nose and mouth, and is struggling to breathe. It's a major trauma, and when Will and Dr Steve arrive, they find that John has suffered multiple fractured ribs, and worse, a punctured lung, leaving him at risk of cardiac arrest. He's in a critical condition, and with no time to lose, Will and Dr Steve have no choice but to perform emergency roadside surgery at the scene to save John's life.

Over in Redditch a man has collapsed at work unconscious and is turning blue. Critical Care Paramedic Mitch is immediately dispatched, and on arrival he finds the man's heart is not beating and he's in cardiac arrest. Mitch and the ambulance team battle save the man's life against the odds.

50 miles away in Burton on Trent, 76-year-old Doreen's day ends in disaster when she falls all the way down the stairs in her home. With the possibility that a stroke has caused the fall, Critical Care Paramedic Fay Pollock races to the scene.

Fay finds Doreen awake and conscious, but with an open wound at the back of her head.

It's a nasty fall and she's also complaining of chest pain, meaning she could have suffered

Tewkesbury, 11 pm. A motorist calls 999 after spotting a car stuck in a ditch. A man is trapped inside, slumped against the door and bleeding from his head. It's a time-critical emergency, and Critical Care Paramedics Will Meadows and Kerry Hemus are immediately dispatched, finding Rob, 38, conscious, but unable to move his legs. Fearing he may have suffered a serious spinal injury, Kerry and Mark need to get Rob out of the car as quickly as possible. but any sudden movement now could lead to paralysis.

One hundred miles away in Shropshire, 43-year-old Dean calls 999 in agony after accidentally cutting his leg with an angle grinder while chopping down a tree. He's losing blood rapidly, and needs immediate assistance, but he's in a hard-to-reach rural location. It's a potentially life-threatening situation, so a helimed is immediately scrambled. When Critical Care Paramedic Will and Dr Ali Husain reach the scene, they find Dean has a large cut down to the bone, and muscle has been exposed. And worse, the wound is dangerously close to a major artery. Now they have to work quickly and carefully to treat Dean's leg, without the artery bursting, causing catastrophic damage.

Over in Northampton, 80-year-old Margaret has fallen down the stairs at home and is struggling to breathe. Every year almost 700 people lose their lives due to a fall down the stairs and critical care paramedic Jenny Mealey and Dr Joe Tyler race to the scene. Signs indicate that Margaret may have a punctured lung, which could be fatal if left untreated.

11.15 AM, Dudley. Eighty-three-year-old Iris suffers a nasty fall at home and is in severe pain. She has a suspected broken thigh bone, and Critical Care Paramedic Stephen Mitchell is immediately dispatched.
On arrival he finds Iris in agony and unable to move. Only his advanced training in administering powerful pain relief will be able to get her out of her home and into hospital for the immediate treatment she desperately needs.
Meanwhile, 40 miles away in Shrewsbury, 50-year-old Stewart has gone into cardiac arrest during a karate class. It's a category one emergency and Grant Salsby and Sarah Foley race to the scene.
On arrival, they find Stewart's heart has been restarted by paramedics, but now he is critically ill, and has a locked jaw. Grant and Sarah will have to do everything they can to stop Stewart from slipping into another potentially fatal arrest.
Back at base in RAF Cosford, Critical Care Paramedics Fay Pollock and Will Meadows are just clocking on when they receive reports of a serious road traffic collision.
Forty-three-year-old truck driver Gamil is trapped in his cabin, and his dashboard and steering column have collapsed inwards, crushing him from the waist down. It's a race against time to get Gamil out of the wreckage to prevent him suffering any life changing injuries.

A man has sustained a serious leg injury after being crushed by a forklift truck, while a 22-year-old woman is trapped in her car with a badly injured ankle after a collision.

Fay Pollock and Sara Folley arrive on the scene where forty-two-year-old Mark has collapsed in his bathroom. A head on collision between two motorcyclists issues a code red call out for Dr Mark Nash and critical care paramedic Will Meadows. An emergency response team administrates pain management to 56-year-old Della, who is suffering from a broken leg after slipping on her steps.

Paramedics Grant Salsby and Sarah Folley rush to the scene where a man has collapsed at the wheel and crashed his car. Fay Pollock and Dr Stef Cowan treat a 72-year-old who has fallen from a ladder, finding he has an open fracture and no pulse in his foot, while Peter Bowles and Dr Andy Mockridge hurry to a 22-year-old who is suffering a prolonged epileptic seizure.

10.50 AM Staffordshire. 64-year-old David has collapsed at work with a suspected cardiac arrest. Critical Care Paramedics Sarah Folley and Fay Pollock are immediately dispatched.

On arrival they find an ambulance crew has restarted David's heart, but one in three patients who come out of cardiac arrest, go on to have another. Now Sarah and Fay have got to do everything they can to prevent this happening to David.
Over in Worcestershire, Critical Care Paramedics Kerry Hemus and Laura Taylor are rushing to the scene of a serious road traffic collision.

52-year-old Michelle is trapped in her car after crashing into a fallen tree. She's complaining of neck pain which at worst could be a sign of a fracture and there's a risk of paralysis. Kerry and Laura have to think on their feet to get Michelle out of the car and give her the urgent treatment she desperately needs.

Meanwhile over in Gloucestershire 21-year-old international show jumper Faye has been kicked off her horse over a jump and is lying on the ground unable to move. Critical Care Paramedics Will Meadows and Grant Salsby race to the scene, to find Faye complaining of chest and shoulder pain. And having hit the floor headfirst she may have sustained injuries that have life-changing consequences.

A 52-year old man complains of neck and shoulder pains after being thrown off his motorbike and a 40-year-old 
epileptic woman has collapsed with a dangerously low breating rate.

A 60-year-old man is involved in a high speed crash and it seems his chest has taken the full force of the impact; A 70-year-old man suddenly collapses with symptoms of a heart attack.

A 53-year-old joiner has fallen through the first floor of a building; a 43-year-old man has cut himself in the abdomen with a chainsaw whilst doing DIY and is in a serious condition.