My first shift 'on the car' went fairly well - there are lots of things that are different between the car and working on a truck that I think you may be interested reading about, which means I'll have a series of postings about RU work to write about when I next get some days off.

While others were dealing with stabbings and shootings (at least two in the area last night) I, who is supposed to go to the most serious calls, had two patients who actually needed hospital treatment, a crying baby, and 5 cases of 'D&V' (Diarrhea and vomiting). I was not alone in dealing with this sudden increase of D&V, Newham hospital was very busy with an epidemic of similar illness, and it seemed that crews were persuading a lot of them to stay at home and nurse themselves..

If you live in the area I work then I'd stay away from the Kebab shops in Romford road (Manor park end) if I were you, as at least twelve cases were tied to one kebab shop, with perhaps as many as twenty seven people eventually falling ill with the same symptoms after eating from the same shop.

Now...can I name the shop involved? Legally and ethically, am I on firm ground?

Maybe I should study journalism at night school...

The other cases were all fairly simple, although at one job I had to wait over an hour for an ambulance to turn up - I was stuck in a house where the only person who spoke any English was a 4 year old child. Not normally a problem, but there was some uncomfortable silences. Still, the family understood that we were really busy and were all very nice - offering cups of tea and little snacks, which is something no-one has ever done for me while working on an ambulance.

I may have something more interesting tomorrow, but for the first night it was really pleasant to be eased into this entirely new way of working.

Now to sleep...