Ambulance (TV programme)

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Ambulance
GenreDocumentary
Directed byBruce Fletcher
Narrated by
ComposerMatthew Cracknell
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series12
No. of episodes83
Production
Running time57-60 minutes
Production companyDragonfly
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release27 September 2016 (2016-09-27) –
present
Related
Ambulance Australia

Ambulance is a documentary series that follows the "life and death decisions on the frontline." The BBC One format showcases their work "from control rooms to the crews on the street."[1]

Episodes[edit]

Series overview[edit]

SeriesAmbulance ServiceEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1London Ambulance Service327 September 2016 (2016-09-27)11 October 2016 (2016-10-11)
2West Midlands Ambulance Service824 August 2017 (2017-08-24)12 October 2017 (2017-10-12)
3West Midlands Ambulance Service826 April 2018 (2018-04-26)29 November 2018 (2018-11-29)
4North West Ambulance Service818 October 2018 (2018-10-18)16 May 2019 (2019-05-16)
5North West Ambulance Service (Manchester)12630 May 2019 (2019-05-30)11 July 2019 (2019-07-11)
North West Ambulance Service (Liverpool)64 June 2020 (2020-06-04)16 July 2020 (2020-07-16)
6London Ambulance Service816 September 2020 (2020-09-16)4 November 2020 (2020-11-04)
7North West Ambulance Service612 August 2021 (2021-08-12)23 September 2021 (2021-09-23)
8North West Ambulance Service630 September 2021 (2021-09-30)1 November 2021 (2021-11-01)
9North East Ambulance Service611 August 2022 (2022-08-11)6 October 2022 (2022-10-06)
10North East Ambulance Service613 October 2022 (2022-10-13)6 February 2023 (2023-02-06)[2]
11North West Ambulance Service624 August 2023 (2023-08-24)[3]28 September 2023 (2023-09-28)
12North West Ambulance Service631 January 2024 (2024-01-31)20 March 2024 (2024-03-20)

Series 1: London Ambulance Service (2016)[edit]

No.
overall		No. in
series		Original air date Viewers
(millions)
1127 September 2016 (2016-09-27)4.43

The first episode reveals the dilemmas faced by the London Ambulance Service as they are forced to bump patients down the queue so they can prioritise the sickest, deal with time-wasters and cope with the ever-present threat that a major incident is just a 999 call away.

Closing Song: I'm Getting Ready by Michael Kiwanuka
224 October 2016 (2016-10-04)4.95

Episode two joins the staff in the nerve-centre control room on the night shift, when amongst the thousands of calls they receive, they also have to contend with hoaxers, frequent callers and run-away patients. At one point, 125 patients are waiting for assistance and the ambulance allocators are forced to prioritise the sickest patients, even if that means bumping others down the queue.

Closing Song: Coles Corner by Richard Hawley
3311 October 2016 (2016-10-11)4.16

The London Ambulance Service brace themselves for a demanding weekend shift. As Londoners head out to play, the Ambulance Service often has to pick up the pieces. They need prepare for a torrent of cases, all with their own unique challenges.

Closing Song: Wheels by Grand Drive

Series 2: West Midlands Ambulance Service (2017)[edit]

No.
overall		No. in
series		Original air date Viewers
(millions)
4124 August 2017 (2017-08-24)4.45
Paramedics race to help a man that has suddenly collapsed.
5231 August 2017 (2017-08-31)4.90
The highly skilled team race to help a patient who has been stabbed five times.
637 September 2017 (2017-09-07)4.69
A woman having a heart attack is taken to the Cardiac Unit at Royal Stoke Hospital.
7414 September 2017 (2017-09-14)4.67
A specialist team is dispatched to a serious car accident in Warwickshire.
8521 September 2017 (2017-09-21)4.72
A call comes in from a terrified mum whose toddler is fitting.
9628 September 2017 (2017-09-28)4.27
Justin helps deliver a baby, goes to a prolific caller and surprises a drunk patient.
1075 October 2017 (2017-10-05)4.38
Two brothers battling with addiction strikes a personal chord for paramedic Nina.
11812 October 2017 (2017-10-12)4.57
The West Midlands Ambulance Service must deal with the severe consequences of Storm Doris.

Series 3: West Midlands Ambulance Service (2018)[edit]

No.
overall		No. in
series		Original air date Viewers
(millions)
12126 April 2018 (2018-04-26)4.38
A day shift takes an unexpected turn for two West Midlands Ambulance Service Paramedics.
1323 May 2018 (2018-05-03)4.35
Extra staff are brought in on New Year's Eve, but the night doesn't go as planned.
14310 May 2018 (2018-05-10)4.06
A West Midlands Ambulance Service specialist trauma team are called to a brutal stabbing.
15417 May 2018 (2018-05-17)3.95
A day shift with paramedic crews brings a spike in mental health cases.
16524 May 2018 (2018-05-24)4.55
A specialist paramedic attends a machete attack but his less urgent jobs are as troubling.
17631 May 2018 (2018-05-31)4.44
It's the last Saturday night before Christmas and Sui has to prioritise stabbing victims.
18722 November 2018 (2018-11-22)N/A
West Midlands Ambulance Service must manage problems of a winter NHS crisis that has left patients queuing in the corridors of Royal Stoke Hospital.
19829 November 2018 (2018-11-29)N/A
West Midlands Ambulance Service crews pay a heavy emotional toll after attending troubling cases of addiction and attempted suicide.

Series 4: North West Ambulance Service (2018–2019)[edit]

No.
overall		No. in
series		Original air date Viewers
(millions)
20118 October 2018 (2018-10-18)4.22
Over a busy weekend in Manchester, North West Ambulance Service paramedics Andrea and Glynn attend an RTC, while Debbie and Shaun try to persuade a homeless man to go to hospital.
21225 October 2018 (2018-10-25)3.81
During a 12-hour night shift with North West Ambulance Service, call handler Elly tackles an increasing volume of calls, and there are surprises for paramedics April and Clare.
2231 November 2018 (2018-11-01)4.40
A suspected terror incident requires a large-scale response and brings back memories of the Manchester Arena attack for the paramedics.
2346 December 2018 (2018-12-06)N/A
Call handler Joe faces his first unsupervised shift answering 999 calls on a busy night for the North West Ambulance Service.
24525 April 2019 (2019-04-25)4.26
A Friday night shift takes an unexpected turn for paramedic Jon. A panicked caller needs help for a friend who has given birth in a hotel room despite not knowing she was pregnant.
2562 May 2019 (2019-05-02)3.92
Joining North West Ambulance Service for a twelve-hour night shift. Call handler Elly tackles an increasing volume of calls, and there are surprises for paramedics April and Clare.
2679 May 2019 (2019-05-09)N/A
The BAFTA-winning series follows ambulance crews in the wake of England's defeat at the 2018 World Cup.
27816 May 2019 (2019-05-16)3.82
While most enjoy a hot May bank holiday weekend in Manchester, North West Ambulance Service paramedics Gary and Claire need face matters of life and death.

Series 5: North West Ambulance Service (2019–2020)[edit]

Series 5, again following the North West Ambulance Service, was split into two parts: the six episodes aired in 2019 were filmed in Manchester, and the six episodes shown in 2020 were filmed in Liverpool.[4][5]

No.
overall		No. in
series		Original air date Viewers
(millions)
Part 1 – Manchester
28130 May 2019 (2019-05-30)3.93
Call handler Laura offers life-saving advice to a panicked 999 caller.
2926 June 2019 (2019-06-06)N/A (<3.82)[a]
Paramedics Alice and Lauren of the North West Ambulance Service respond to an emergency call for a baby not breathing.
30313 June 2019 (2019-06-13)N/A (<3.88)[a]
Doctor Ian and paramedic Nikki see the human consequences of youth violence when they attend a 13-year-old who has been stabbed and two young men who've been shot.
31420 June 2019 (2019-06-20)N/A (<4.15)[a]
North West Ambulance Service faces the pressure of the busiest day of the winter so far with an overwhelming volume of calls and severe delays handing over patients in hospital.
3254 July 2019 (2019-07-04)N/A
Advanced paramedic Luke puts his specialist training to use when he is dispatched to a life-threatening motorcycle accident.
33611 July 2019 (2019-07-11)N/A
Following the North West Ambulance Service on their hectic shifts.
Part 2 – Liverpool
3414 June 2020 (2020-06-04)N/A
Following ambulance teams attending to the 1.4 million people of Merseyside on St Patrick's Day weekend
35211 June 2020 (2020-06-11)N/A
The control room team feel the pressure on a busy night as they receive calls concerning a cocaine binge, a traffic collision and an accident involving a cherry picker.
36318 June 2020 (2020-06-18)N/A
North West Ambulance Service mobilises extra resources as thousands of visitors arrive in Liverpool for the Grand National.
3742 July 2020 (2020-07-02)N/A
Paramedics treat a burglar who has broken his leg escaping from the scene of his crime, and the air ambulance team receive a call about a school pupil who may have fallen from a bridge.
3859 July 2020 (2020-07-09)N/A
A man found slumped in his car in the city centre turns on the good samaritan who called an ambulance for him, leaving the caller needing emergency hospital treatment.
39616 July 2020 (2020-07-16)N/A
Call handler Brogan has to guide one caller through the process of performing lifesaving CPR while they wait for an ambulance to arrive.

Series 6: London Ambulance Service (2020)[edit]

No.
overall		No. in
series		Original air date Viewers
(millions)
40116 September 2020 (2020-09-16)N/A
Filmed in the autumn of 2019, cameras follow a new cast of characters from the London Ambulance Service as they care for the nine million people of the city.
41223 September 2020 (2020-09-23)N/A
Joining ambulance staff caring for nine million people on a day of political protests in the capital.
42330 September 2020 (2020-09-30)N/A
The Friday night shift takes its toll on crews in the capital as they deal with reports of an armed male and two stabbings.
4347 October 2020 (2020-10-07)N/A
Payday in London results in a high volume of calls for the ambulance service and increased violence.
44514 October 2020 (2020-10-14)N/A
Following ambulance crews on duty in London on Halloween 2019. Crews respond to a significant incident at a bus crash in Orpington.
45621 October 2020 (2020-10-21)N/A
This episode shines a light on mental health services and the struggles faced by others which have a deep and lasting impact on the staff and crews.
46728 October 2020 (2020-10-28)N/A
A 999 call for a patient who has been found hanging takes priority on the night shift.
4784 November 2020 (2020-11-04)N/A
A Friday night shift takes its toll on crews as they deal with reports of an armed male and two stabbings in the capital.

Series 7: North West Ambulance Service (2021)[edit]

No.
overall		No. in
series		Original air date Viewers
(millions)
48112 August 2021 (2021-08-12)N/A
Storm Christoph and the second wave of the COVID pandemic cause mounting pressures for NWAS crews on Merseyside.
49219 August 2021 (2021-08-19)N/A
The NHS in the North West battles with the second wave of COVID-19.
50326 August 2021 (2021-08-26)N/A
The crews attend continuous COVID-19 cases, including a woman who is 20-weeks pregnant.
5142 September 2021 (2021-09-02)N/A
Focusing on mental health crisis' across Liverpool, including an asylum seeker struggling with isolation.
5259 September 2021 (2021-09-09)N/A
North West Ambulance Service calls up military personnel to help them care for the public effectively as the Covid-19 pandemic takes its toll.
53623 September 2021 (2021-09-23)N/A
A quiet start to the night shift is broken by a 999 call on behalf of a 13-year-old patient who is stuck on a bus having dislocated her knee.

Series 8: North West Ambulance Service (2021)[edit]

No.
overall		No. in
series		Original air date Viewers
(millions)
54130 September 2021 (2021-09-30)N/A
A call to help a patient threatening to jump off a bridge requires an urgent response during a busy day shift for the staff of North West Ambulance Service.
5527 October 2021 (2021-10-07)N/A
Crewmates Dec and Nicole are urgently dispatched to a baby who has stopped breathing, and they also attend to a 12-year-old patient with a history of being bullied.
56314 October 2021 (2021-10-14)N/A
A 999 call for a patient who has fallen from a horse in a remote area takes priority for crewmates Chris and Lee on a very busy day shift in Lancashire.
57421 October 2021 (2021-10-21)N/A
One year on from the beginning of national lockdown, Lancashire ambulance crews attend to patients whose health problems have been bought on or exacerbated by isolation caused by the lockdown.
58528 October 2021 (2021-10-28)N/A
On a busy night shift in Lancashire, a call for a patient threatening to take his life by walking into the sea in Blackpool takes priority for the North West Ambulance Service.
5961 November 2021 (2021-11-01)N/A
As society opens up, the Easter bank holiday has consequences for North West Ambulance Service. A call for a patient stuck in a forest in Cumbria takes priority.

Series 9: North East Ambulance Service (2022)[edit]

No.
overall		No. in
series		Original air date Viewers
(millions)
60111 August 2022 (2022-08-11)N/A
A crew from the North East Ambulance Service attends to a family who arrived in the UK just 17 days earlier as refugees from Iraq.
61218 August 2022 (2022-08-18)N/A
A high number of Category 1 emergency calls puts the North East Ambulance Service and the hospitals in the region under relentless pressure.
62325 August 2022 (2022-08-25)N/A
A 999 call for a patient driving the wrong way up a slip road kicks off another busy shift for the team covering the 2,300 square miles of Teesside.
6341 September 2022 (2022-09-01)N/A
Crewmates Joe and Hayley attend a number of emergencies, including a baby who is not responding, a centenarian who has had a fall, and a patient who has jumped off a bridge.
64529 September 2022 (2022-09-29)N/A
The North East Ambulance Service and Great North Air Ambulance Service work as a team after multiple urgent 999 calls alert them to a collision on the motorway.
6566 October 2022 (2022-10-06)N/A
Crewmates Paula and Phil attend a patient who is feeling suicidal, and the call-out takes a worrying turn when the patient begins hallucinating in the back of the ambulance.

Series 10: North East Ambulance Service (2022–23)[edit]

This series was split into two halves, with the first three episodes broadcast in October 2022. The series' last three episodes - which were originally planned to air in November 2022, were put on hold due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament. It was then revealed during the 2022-23 festive season, that the remaining episodes from the series would resume broadcasting on Wednesday 4 January 2023.

No.
overall		No. in
series		Original air date Viewers
(millions)
66113 October 2022 (2022-10-13)N/A
A night shift takes a turn for the worse as multiple Darlington crews respond to a category-1 call for a patient in cardiac arrest.
67220 October 2022 (2022-10-20)N/A
Chris and Iqra respond to an urgent 999 call for a suicidal patient who is struggling to pay the bills amid the increasing cost of living crisis.
68327 October 2022 (2022-10-27)N/A
Staff shortages and a rise in 999 calls stretch the North East Ambulance Service to its limits, meaning only the most critical patients will get an ambulance.
6944 January 2023 (2023-01-04)N/A
The North East Ambulance Service responds to multiple 999 calls for patients at breaking point and struggling with their mental health.
70511 January 2023 (2023-01-11)N/A
A suicidal patient phones in a bomb threat, and the crews have a very busy St Patrick's Day.
7166 February 2023 (2023-02-06)N/A
Emily and Gayle treat an 81-year-old diabetic who has fallen off his mobility scooter.

Series 11: North West Ambulance Service (2023)[edit]

This series was filmed across Lancashire and Greater Manchester during the ongoing NHS strikes, affecting paramedics on the frontline and behind the picket line. The series began on 24 August 2023, for a six-week run, until 28 September 2023.

No.
overall		No. in
series		Original air date Viewers
(millions)
72124 August 2023 (2023-08-24)N/A
Filmed during a historical period of uncertainty for the NHS, this episode introduces the staff of NWAS across Lancashire, from the picket line to the front line.
73231 August 2023 (2023-08-31)N/A
Multiple resources are dispatched to a patient who has fallen 20 feet from a tree and requires urgent treatment for a suspected broken back and open wrist fracture.
7437 September 2023 (2023-09-07)N/A
A busy weekend night shift across Lancashire sees advanced paramedic Shaun dispatched to a baby born in the passenger seat of a car.
75414 September 2023 (2023-09-14)N/A
Crewmates Mandy and Lauren help an elderly patient at the local boatyard, who has been on the floor for two days before being discovered by his neighbour.
76521 September 2023 (2023-09-21)N/A
An urgent call from someone threatening to use a nerve agent against the emergency services leads to a major incident standby being declared.
77628 September 2023 (2023-09-28)N/A
Ambulance crews respond to a road traffic accident where a man who has severely injured himself requires advanced pain relief.

Series 12: North West Ambulance Service (2024)[edit]

The series began on 31 January 2024, for a six-week run until 20 March 2024. Due to scheduling conflicts regarding the 2024 Six Nations Championship, there were no episodes on 7 February 2024 and 28 February 2024.

No.
overall		No. in
series		Original air date Viewers
(millions)
78131 January 2024 (2024-01-31)N/A
Multiple emergency services respond to two separate reports of unexploded bombs in Greater Manchester, one with a primary school and nursery nearby.
79214 February 2024 (2024-02-14)N/A
Multiple resources are dispatched to a patient who has fallen 20 feet from a tree and requires urgent treatment for a suspected broken back and open wrist fracture.
80321 February 2024 (2024-02-21)N/A
The ambulance service responds to two separate calls for patients with severe burns, both in need of urgent treatment at the region’s only specialist burns unit.
8146 March 2024 (2024-03-06)N/A
Ambulance crews struggle to deal with life threatening emergencies while also being the last resort for those who have no one else to turn to.

Reception[edit]

Michael Hogan, writing for The Daily Telegraph gave the second series 4 stars, saying "All human life was here. We witnessed birth, death and resurrection in the space of just two shifts. It sure beats Casualty".[6]

Awards and nominations[edit]

In 2018, Ambulance won its first major award, the BAFTA for the best factual series or strand.[7]

Year Award Category Result
2018 British Academy Television Awards Best Factual Series or Strand[8][9] Won

International versions[edit]

Ambulance Australia screens on Network Ten in Australia.[10]

The first series of Ambulance (אמבולנס), was aired on Reshet in Israel during 2018.[11]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Not reported in the weekly top 15 programmes for four-screen viewer ratings.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Ambulance".
  2. ^ "Series 10".
  3. ^ "Ambulance, Series 11, Episode 1".
  4. ^ Sansome, Jessica (16 May 2019). "Will there be another series of BBC's Ambulance?". Manchester Evening News. Reach plc. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Ambulance Series 5 - Liverpool: Episode 1 of 6". BBC Online. BBC. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  6. ^ Hogan, Michael (24 August 2017). "Ambulance, series two episode one – an immersive insight into the stories behind the sirens – review". The Telegraph. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Ambulance wins Factual Series | BAFTA TV Awards 2018". BAFTA. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  8. ^ Rodger, James (14 May 2018). "BBC One documentary Ambulance wins BAFTA Award - full list of winners". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  9. ^ Sandwell, Ian (13 May 2018). "Here's the complete list of BAFTA Television Awards 2018 winners". Digital Spy. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  10. ^ "Ambulance Australia". Endemol Shine Australia. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Endemol Shine Group's Ambulance heads to Israel". Endemol Shine Group. Retrieved 30 April 2020.

External links[edit]

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