The latest episode of BBC's Ambulance documentary saw North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) staff reacting to the news that Boris Johnson admitted breaking lockdown rules during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Paramedics and call handlers are shown responding to the admission - made in the House of Commons on January 12 this year - that the then-Prime Minister had apologised for the "bring your own booze" party held in May 2020. The show illustrates, how - in between rushing to emergency calls - NEAS staff were flabbergasted by Mr Johnson's behaviour.
Paramedic team Paula and Phil had just been looking after a suicidal man suffering from alcoholism when they heard. Paula reacted, saying: "What is he apologising for then?" Phil responded: "For being caught, I think." And Paula then concluded: "It was a Thursday night, he should have been out clapping."
Meanwhile, in the ambulance service's emergency operations centre, staff reflected on how they themselves had made huge sacrifices during the pandemic. One member of staff said: "One rule for one, another for another. When my granddaughter was born I didn't see her for three months."
And another remarked: "No wonder everyone was in uproar about that".
The heartbreaking episode dedicated just a few seconds to the exchanges, but juxtaposed this against the countless emergencies ambulance staff were dealing with. Phil and Paula's call-out to help John, an alcoholic living in Heaton, was a successful one, as, though suffering from suicidal thoughts in the wake of break-up, he was taken to hospital and able to receive help for his addictions.
An end-title card explained that he had since progressed in his battle with alcoholism, and was now set to get married. Also featured were crewmates - and partners - Keigheley and Georgina. The duo were called to a set of harrowing cases - including that of Pat, a retired secretary struggling with her oxygen levels.
Chatting to Keigheley, she passed on advice about love and marriage - having been married more than 60 years - and also said: "I'm coming to the end of my life, and I would not like to be your age again." Devastatingly, the programme revealed that Pat died just a week later.
However the episode had moments of light, too. One call featured a man telling call handlers how a pair of fake breasts had caused him some trouble. He said: "I've got these fake silicone boobs. I put super-strong Gorilla Glue on them. I managed to get the boobies off but my whole entire back is covered in Gorilla Glue and it's not coming off."
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