Page 16 - link magazine

DAY IN THE LIFE
16
The time is 06.00, it's a dark wet Casualty has nothing on this the bills. The amount of people
windy morning as I struggle from who gave so generously to the
my warm bed, and cycle the 3.5 Ambulance personnel are in the news a lot at the moment. Some hardship fund in the Brunel and
miles to work My crew member people think they are just drivers or even providers of 'a taxi service said "Keep on fighting you're worth
for today is Phil who has also cycled for the elderly', but as qualifiedparamedic Jamie Smith from Westlea every penny" was so over-
the same distance fromFreshbrook. writes, there's a lot more to the job than meets the eye (or the whelrning we've got to fight on.
We have both been in the television screen). Even over Christmas people were
ambulance service for about 12 coming to the station to bring gifts
years now, and have both qualified of sweets, money and drink.
in gaining paramedic status. The next call is to a block of flats
Our first job of the shift is to in the northern district of Swindon
check the vehicle that we will be to a male collapse who we think
using, Phil is the driver today and has stopped breathing. My
Iwifibein thebackoftheambulance colleagues in anothercrew respond
looking after the patients. The time veryquickly as time is crucial. They
is 07.25 and the first call is to a road weave their way through the dinner
traffic accident involving two cars time traffic to the scene to be greeted
on the A419 road at the bottom of by a frantic wife saying "I think
Blunsdon Hill. Two cars have he's gone" They travel up in the lift
collided and there is a report of a to the top floor to find a man in the
patient being trapped. We arrive at bedroom slumped beside the bed.
the scene to find the whole He is face down and looks rather
carraigeway leading towards blue in colour. Their assessment
Cricidade is blocked by cars and confirms that the man is possibly
debris. The driver of one of the cars dead but they start to try and
is trapped by his legs; he is an a lot resuscitate him. The crew turn him
of pain and looking shocked. After not to cause anymore injury. It has fallen out of bed, and broken onto his back and the attendant
our initial examination we decide appears that his right upper leg is her arm. When we arrive we are ventilates him with a special self
to help lessen the pain by giving a broken and he has a laceration to greeted by the warden in charge inflating bag and mask that he puts
special gas that we carry. This his left lower leg. After a gently but who leads us up a flight of stairs to over the patient's face. The other
works quite well. We decide to set progressive journey to the hospital where the lady is lying. She is 90 crew member connects him to the
up an intravenous drip on this we hand the patient over to the years old, frail and almost deaf. cardiac monitor to see if there is
patient and continue to monitor his casualty staff. We clean up our She has been in the home for some any heart rhythm. The patient is in
condition regularly. He uses the vehicle, replenish the equipment time now and is thought of as one a rhythm that needs to be given a
gas while the fire service help us to used and make our way back to the of the family. All the staff are shock with the defibrillator but they
cut him free from the wreckage. station. rallying around trying to look after are unable to as they are not trained
Once released we transfer him onto Our second call of the shift is to her. Her left wrist appears to be at yet. So they ask for a paramedic
a stretcher and splint his legs so as an old peoples home to a lady who an abnormal angle. This is quite crew to assist.
hard to examine as she is also The call comes from control on
arthritic, and both her wrists are the direct line in the rest room for
abnormal in shape. We treat her us to attend the incident. On our
TRANSFORM YOUR very gently trying not to cause her arrival we re-assess the patient and
any more pain, and try to reassure give him two shocks which are
KITCHEN IN 1 DAY! her that all will be alright. She says unsuccessful. We try again with a
"1 don't want to go to hospital" third shock setatthe highest energy
while trying to move her arm. With level. A bleep sound on the E.C.G.
+ln one day we can replace your door & drawer
some more gentle persuasion we screen, a co-ordinated heart rhythm
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are able to put her into the also appears. We check for a pulse
or laminate ambulance and convey her to on his neck, yes we have a pulse, I
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the mess comfort the lady. a while". A moment later the
+lf you need new worktops, sinktop or appliances, Once again we making tracks patient tries to breathe for himself
we will supply these too. back towards the station for what and skin colour is improvingall the
we hope is a well earned cup of tea time. We wait a while before we
OR IF YOU PREFER and a bite to eat. The time is 10.00 move him as any slight movement
and we are getting quite thirsty. As can cause him to arrest again.
+We will completely re-design your whole kitchen we park up the next crew are Eventually we load him into the
FREE OF CHARGE responding to a collapse in ambulance and administer oxygen
+ Supply kitchens by and 'NOW' Sainsburys - a possible epileptic therapy and re-connect him to the
within 7 to 10 days ckw patient the caller said. This leaves monitor for continued assessment
+ Give help and advice us behind and the next crew to go on the route to hospital. He remains
out, so we quickly enjoy our cuppa stable, we ask control to inform
to assist your DIY installation sittingaround the table and chatting casualty of our patient's condition
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about the ambulance dispute. and E.T.A. They arrange to receive
available if required We all agree that 20 weeks of him in the special resuscitation
dispute is a longtime, and that we room which we are glad to see.
Call us NOW would like to see an end to it and We, as two ambulance crews
getbackto working normally. From have been able to achieve the
Swindon 511842 the news it is quite clear that the ultimate goal, that is to save a life
Government will not budge on its and it makes us feel really good.
or see us at British Gas Show Room offer of 6.5% or 9% over eighteen We ponder over the days work
Regent Street, Swindon months. People are really starting while we travel back to the station
to feel the purse strings tighten due to end our shift and after cleaning
to the lack of overtime. Quite often our vehicle and filling in the work
you might get one or two extra sheet, we cycle our way home. The
days in a month which helps to pay sun has come out now.