'There's nothing better than being a paramedic'

A paramedic who is part of a new series documenting frontline emergency medical care says he "can't think of doing anything better".

South West Ambulance Service, which covers the west of England as well as Devon, Dorset and Cornwall, features on Channel 4's new 999: On The Front Line series over 10 episodes.

The show reveals the realities of crews working out of stations in Bristol, Bridgwater and Taunton to help millions of people every year.

Lee, who is one of the paramedics on the show, said: "It's not something you can easily describe, the feeling you get when can do something to save somebody's life. I can't think of doing anything better."

The ambulance service is the largest region in the country, and respond to about 3,600 incidents a day.

In episode two, set to air on Sunday, a woman from Taunton is featured going into cardiac arrest while explaining her chest pains to paramedics, and crews deal with a man collapsed in a pool of his own vomit, and a young man suffers an allergic reaction after drinking an alcoholic chilli shot.

Call handlers, who each can answer up to 40 calls in a single 12-hour shift, also feature in the programme.

One of the call handlers who is in the series, Emma, said they are there to also reassure people.

She told BBC Points West: "They [paramedics] need to deal with everything as quickly as they can on the scene; but also make sure they get the right treatment, go to the right place before you can send them to somewhere else.

"We stay on the phone, we try to reassure people and give them support. Sometimes it's lifesaving information.

"We give CPR instructions, delivery instructions, whatever's needed. We're there, we're the voice on the end of the line."

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