Patient Transport Service.

Ok first things first. It might look like an A&E ambulance, but its PTS (Sorry I should have taken a picture of the side that said "Patient Transport Service" in big blue words). This is an "Urgent Care Vehicle", so is equipped with all sorts including blue lights and sirens, O2 and basic ambulance equipment. It also has a stretcher in it too, but oddly can seat 6 as the stretcher acts as a seat and the rest of the seats fold from the walls. Its a strange hybrid, somewhere in the middle between A&E and PTS, and as with most things that try to do too much at once wasn't particularly good at either. All sorts of little things were badly designed inside it, making it not quite useless as an A&E ambulance but close, yet it couldn't sit enough people to be a really useful PTS vehicle. However, being able to carry a stretcher places this vehicle in its element, it was the only non-A&E truck on station that could carry one.

I was with a two-man crew, Fred and Gavin. Gavin had trained up to EMT 2 standard, but had stayed with PTS as opposed to going to A&E, for reasons unknown. This meant he could use all the equipment on board if it was needed. Not all at once of course, that's preposterous. Don't be silly.

We started off nice and easy, taking 4 OAPs to a day centre. I had a nice chat with one about Cornwall and Butchers, I had fun pretending I knew what meat tasted like, otherwise I would of have had to explain all about being a vege etc etc which is all very boring, trust me.

Next we transferred a stretcher patient to a hospital about 20 miles away, which went without a hitch. I did try and talk to her but she was a bit confused, a lad trying to speak to her while wearing a bright yellow observers jacket (picture to follow later) probably wouldn't help much.

Back to the hospital for lunch, then a request to quickly drop a lady and her mother home. The lady had been staying with her mother in hospital, and both seemed happy. The mother was a hundred years old! I'd pay to look that good at a hundred. She might not of been able to stand up on her own accord, but apart from that she was in perfect working order. I also saw for the first time the Banana Board used in anger, as well as the carry chair.

Lastly we transferred an elderly gentleman by stretcher from his ward back to his nursing home. It was BUPA run, and a word of advice, when(and if) you do need to go into a home ensure its a BUPA one, as it was very nice. I mean really nice. I mean super-dooper really, really nice. Nice advert there lad..

So (unfortunately), we didn't get to play with blue lights, but I had an enjoyable day and I'm sure I'll get more than my fill of "The Blue Mist" tomorrow.


Nee Naw Nee Naw Nee Naw Woooooooooo Woooooooo OoOoOoOoOoOoOo................ etc.