Viewers of the BBC‘s docu-series looking behind-the-scenes of the UK’s ambulance service were left shocked by scenes that saw a fragile woman, 94, left on the floor.
Fans tuning into the show on Wednesday night, which airs on BBC One, were left in shock seeing the OAP collapsed as it was revealed she had been without help for FIVE hours.
Ambulance follows the work of the service around the UK, looking at the problems and pressures faced by the British ambulance service daily.
Narrated by former Dr Who star Christopher Eccleston, viewers are shown what the day-to-day operations look like, from the point of view of those in the control rooms and the crews working on the street.
Cameras capture everything from the initial first call to the arrival of the ambulance, and follow the stories through to what happened after their departure.
On Wednesday (March 25) BBC viewers watched on as a 94-year-old was forced to lie on the floor for five hours before an ambulance was able to reach her.
Viewers of the BBC’s docu-series looking behind-the-scenes of the UK’s ambulance service were left shocked by scenes that saw a fragile woman, 94, left on the floor
Fans tuning into the show on Wednesday night, which airs on BBC One, were left in shock seeing the OAP collapsed as it was revealed she had been without help for FIVE hours
The incident took place while the NHS Yorkshire Ambulance Crew in Leeds were seen being pushed to breaking point, dealing with multiple emergencies at the same time.
Fans watched as the ambulance service were called to help de-escalate a scene that saw a man threatening to jump out of a window and throw petrol on police.
By the time the ambulance service had been called to the scene, which saw staff Nagina and Mo standing by to treat any casualties if the situation escalated, the staff had already handled around 300 calls that shift.
After nearly two hours, police de-escalated the incident without injuries, leaving the ambulance staff to attend to the dozens of patients who had been waiting.
Meanwhile, paramedic John was sent to a Category 1 emergency where a patient had stopped breathing in one of nine cardiac arrest calls received in an hour.
And crew members Jen and Elliott were then dispatched to another call, which saw a patient found not breathing and in need of urgent assistance.
Elderly patient Audrey, had been left lying on the floor for FIVE hours after falling from bed in the early hours of the morning before she was found by her carer.
Audrey had been stuck since 5am and was complaining of pain in her hip, with Nagina and Mo sent out to deal with the incident as she was prioritised up to a Category 2 call by one of the ambulance service call handlers.
‘Somebody has been on the floor since 5am,’ the call handler could be heard saying. ‘She’s 94, she is not being kept waiting, we’re getting someone to her.’
Audrey had been stuck since 5am and was complaining of pain in her hip
Viewers watched on as Nagina and Mo helped Audrey off the floor and assessed her condition, ensuring she was not injured and calling for further help.
But fans watching were left heartbroken over the scenes and took to X, formerly Twitter, to complain that someone should have been with Audrey sooner – and hit out at one of the former emergencies.
One penned: ‘All those services wasted on the guy acting up threatening to attack the people trying to help him where this 94 year old on the floor having to wait 5 hours.
‘Sorry, but these people who make it hard for the emergency services should be category 3 and lower.’
Another chimed in: ‘It’s disgusting how the Government can fund wars but not provide enough resources to provide emergency care in a timely way.’
As a third remarked: ‘How lovely and dignified was the 94 year old lady who had to wait 5 hours to be picked up.’
Someone else praised the team, saying: ‘Huge respect to our colleagues in the Ambulance Service. Day in, day out they respond to some of the toughest situations imaginable with professionalism, compassion, and calm under pressure.’
It comes after Ambulance viewers were left furious as they hit out at the ‘utterly ridiculous’ strain on paramedics highlighted in the BBC show.
Last week’s instalment followed ambulance crews based across Scarborough and Whitby, but some aspects left the audience concerned.
During the episode, it was revealed that Scarborough had ‘just five ambulances on shift for a population of 108,000.’
Taking to X, many viewers shared their fury over this situation, as one wrote: ‘5 ambulances covering Scarborough on a bank holiday?
‘That’s utterly ridiculous. I feel sorry for the ambulance service.’
Another penned: ‘Scarborough has 5 ambulances with a population of 118,000.’
A third remarked: ‘5 ambulances for a population >100,000 seems like mad underfunding!
‘We should be rioting over this dereliction of duty by our politicians not just watching the fallout of an underfunded and under resourced system as primetime 9pm telly.’
A fourth chimed in: ‘Watching #ambulance and it is worrying to think some have to travel 90 miles to see a patient.
‘I’m lucky to be able to see the ambulances from my window, I just can’t comprehend going those distances. Respect to the paramedics.’
One frightening instance saw a life-threatening Category One choking call come in – only for the nearest crew to be at least 35 minutes away.
A viewer raged: ‘This #ambulance show is a joke. The lack of funding that the NHS and ambulance service have is harrowing.
’45 minutes to get to a cat 1 emergency, 5 ambulances for a population of over 100000, but politicians still say it is okay.’
Viewers watched on as Audrey was assisted by paramedics Nagina and Mo
‘Just as well she’s stopped choking with them taking over half an hour to get there. Not their fault of course, it’s lack of investment and resources’, a second agreed.
Meanwhile, a crew sent out to cover call a Bridlington ultimately left Scarborough with no ambulance cover.
Towards the end of the episode, an on-screen graphic read: ‘On average, people living in the coastal and rural parts of Yorkshire wait 45% longer for emergency care than those living in urban areas.’
Elsewhere, a previous installment left viewers disgusted as a paramedic was punched in the face – raging ‘nobody should have to put up with this!’
The episode, which aired on Wednesday (March 11), followed members of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service amid tense situations.
Paramedics Louise and Sarah were on hand to help a patient having a seizure, but things didn’t quite go to plan.
As the patient became increasingly more physically aggressive, the pair called in police back-up.
During this confrontation, the patient punched Louise in the nose and Sarah later said she’d been ‘caught in the face’.
Viewers discovered that, ‘On average, people living in the coastal and rural parts of Yorkshire wait 45% longer for emergency care than those living in urban areas.’
Fans were appalled by the conditions faced by these healthcare workers and reacted on social media.
One wrote on X: ‘I can’t believe the level of abuse these poor ambulance staff/paramedics receive! Nobody should have to put up with this when trying to earn a living!
‘These people are trying to help you! Show some respect! Absolutely disgusting.’
Another said: ‘Two female paramedics got physically abused (one punched in the nose) by a drug user who overdosed and continued to help the man once the police arrived.
‘Then drove him to A&E! Whatever these people earn – double it! #Ambulance.’
A third chimed in: ‘Those poor women. No one deserves to be smacked in the face when they’re trying to help someone #Ambulance.’
Elsewhere, the control room staff faced harassment from a persistent caller using abusive language towards operators.
This person previously refused an ambulance, but continued to make new phone calls each minute, therefore blocking the emergency lines from authentic life-threatening cases.
Team leader Abi ultimately had to escalate the situation by reporting the caller to the police.
She explained in the show: ‘As a manager, I’m very protective of my team.
‘When I see my entire team receiving abuse and it affects multiple people, it is really difficult to see.
‘No one deserves that. That shouldn’t happen at all, but it certainly shouldn’t happen to people who are there to help.’
Addressing the persistent caller, Abi added: ‘You can see how many genuine emergency calls are sat waiting to be answered, that need our help.
‘You think, “Why am I doing this?”‘
One viewer fumed: ‘Absolutely disgusting behaviour from these ‘patients’ and callers, staff should be allowed to refuse to treat them.’
Another raged: ‘Will never understand how people can phone emergency services and act as rude and disrespectful as that!’
Ambulance airs Wednesdays on BBC One and is available to stream iPlayer.
