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The first episode of the Bafta award-winning Ambulance returns to the north west, one of the areas hardest hit by the cost-of-living crisis. The ambulance service has increasingly become the safety net for those struggling to cope, while still striving to deliver the very best care to a population of over 7.1 million amid the deepest crisis in the NHS鈥檚 75-year history.

It's the first of two strike days affecting ambulance services across the country, the most wide-scale industrial action for a generation. North West Ambulance Service loses over a third of its workforce as staff join the picket lines to strike over pay, working conditions and their concerns for patient safety.

With limited resources, the service will only be responding to category 1 and 2 calls, the most life-threatening, and category 3 and 4 calls will not be sent an ambulance.

An emergency call is received for a patient not breathing. Dispatcher Joe immediately deploys the nearest available crew, 19 minutes away on the picket line. Until emergency services arrive, call handler Annie guides the caller through life-saving instructions. Despite best efforts, the crew on scene sadly make the decision to terminate resuscitation, and dispatcher Joe reflects on the impact of the strike action.

It鈥檚 the start of a new 12-hour shift, and with no strike action, the service is back to normal capacity. Crewmates Phil and Ian are dispatched to an RTC on the M6, with multiple reports of a vehicle on its roof. It鈥檚 a challenging job for Phil, who opens up about his recent experience of losing close relatives in a fatal RTC.

Back at control, the team is dealing with a third more calls in Cumbria and Lancashire compared to the same time during the previous day鈥檚 strike. Crewmates Jared and Jamie are dispatched to a vicarage to help care for an 89-year-old female who has fallen. The patient expresses her deep gratitude for the NHS and the ambulance service.

A category 1 call is received for a patient who has collapsed and stopped breathing. Advanced paramedic Amy is less than a mile from the patient and will arrive in just 80 seconds. Multiple clinicians at the scene work tirelessly to help the patient before transporting him to the nearest A&E on a red pre-alert.

The team in control is back for another 12-hour night shift before staff walk out on strike again in the morning. Category 3 calls are still being sent an ambulance. Jared and Jamie are dispatched to a 25-year-old vomiting due to gallstones. The patient鈥檚 strong family support network leads paramedic Jared to reflect on his life growing up with a parent struggling with addiction.

In Lancaster, Ian and Phil respond to a call from an 88-year-old patient who is on blood thinners and suffering from continuous nose bleeds. After being reassured by the crew, the patient reveals she nearly didn鈥檛 call for help, for fear the ambulance service were on strike.

Jared and Jamie are less than one mile away from a 25-year-old female patient with low mood and suicidal thoughts. The crew arrives to find the patient in the midst of a mental health crisis and learn she has been suffering with postnatal depression. After demonstrating effective breathing exercises, the crew is able to put the patient at ease and leave her at home feeling brighter and more positive.

Filmed during a historical period of uncertainty for the NHS, this episode introduces the staff of North West Ambulance Service across Lancashire, from the picket line to the front line. It shines a light on the uncertainties faced by the NHS today, while the ambulance service continues to deliver life-saving care to the people of the region.