BBC One's Ambulance will air emotional scenes when it returns for its ninth series on Thursday, August 11, which is set in North East England. The first episode of the series sees paramedics, Alex and Kyle, called to help a man who hasn't eaten or drank anything for three days. The call was made by the man's social worker, who made an unannounced visit to the house.
The immobile man, who has been bed bound for four years, struggles to even talk when Alex and Kyle arrive at the scene. He musters up the strength to tell the paramedics that he "cannot swallow water". Whilst Kyle tends to him, Alex finds out more from his wife. The man's wife tells Alex: "About three or four days ago, he wasn't eating or drinking because he was lying flat and he couldn't be bothered." From here, she tells her that her husband never gets out of bed because he hurt his back in the bathroom four years ago.
Meanwhile, Kyle feeds the man some water and asks him when he last had a proper meal, to which he replies, "I couldn't tell you". This prompts Kyle to start crying, meaning he has to leave the room. In an interview, Kyle reveals: "Seeing people helpless does affect [me]," before explaining that he relates to the situation because his sister had multiple sclerosis (MS). After quickly composing himself, he returns to the man's side.
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Alex learns from the man's wife that the couple's daughter had passed away at 45 from mental health-related issues and they had never spoken to anyone about it. "I wanted to go around telling everybody that my daughter had died," she says, as she reveals that she finds it hard that the world has moved on since her daughter passed away.
Upon calling a specialist EVAC (evacuation) service to help move the man, Kyle and Alex take him to A&E so he can get the care that he needs. Leaving the man with the specialists, he tells them that he "doesn't like hospitals" but Alex comforts him and says "it's nice to be out of that bed."
Meanwhile, Kyle, who becomes tearful again whilst driving the man to hospital, says: "Everyone thinks that it's the big jobs that affect you the most but it's actually not." Wiping his eyes, he adds: "It's the jobs where you've done everything you can for that patient but you still don't think it is enough."
The new series of BAFTA award-winning series, Ambulance, introduces viewers to the staff of the North East Ambulance Service and highlights the extraordinary care delivered to the people of the North East, during the biggest health crisis in the history of the NHS, against the backdrop of uncertainty for the country as it faces the multiple challenges of a cost of living crises, hospitals at breaking point and an ever worsening stretch on social care services.
Ambulance airs on BBC One at 9pm on Thursday, August 11
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