Yesterday I had very little to do - the RRU tends to be a bit quiet during day shifts, as there are more ambulances to go around. This is a good thing, although you do need to be happy with your own company.

My shift starts at 06:30, so around 7am I left the station for a bit of a drive around, and spent 40 minutes parked outside Stratford bus garage in order to provide 'standby cover'.

Nothing - not a peep from anyone injured or ill.

I actually didn't see a patient until gone 11am, which was a 'Purple +', an elderly lady who had died sometime ago and had been discovered by her son. He was the sort of son who visited or phoned his mother everyday - so when she didn't answer the phone that morning he had rushed round to find her dead.

He was obviously upset, so I looked after him while the ambulance crew (who had gotten there just seconds before me) arranged the police/GP, and spoke to the son's wife - who can best be described as 'a rock'.

As soon as I became available I got sent to a 20 year old female who had collapsed at the other side of town - once more I was beaten by the ambulance by mere seconds, and the woman turned out to have had a simple faint brought on by not having a decent breakfast.

I then got sent from that job to an 80 year old collapse (typical, nothing for hours and then three jobs on the bounce), I managed to beat the ambulance to that job. The woman had been generally unwell for sometime with a chest infection, and I suspect that it had gotten a bit too much for her.

But like all women *cough*, she wouldn't do as I told her - and insisted on talking on the phone before the ambulance could take her away. I wanted to rule out a cardiac cause for her collapse, but she really wanted to do things her own way. She didn't end up in the resuscitation room, so I suspect my diagnosis may have been right.

I then had a bit of a pause before being sent to an 'unconscious' child - who, when I walked into the room, was sitting up looking very happy. He had been having a high temperature for the past 3 days...

The final job of the day was to a known epileptic who had had a fit at the bus station - not that this slowed down the commuters any - a couple of times while dealing with her, my response bag got kicked. It was a bit strange as, although I didn't recognise her face I was able to guess her surname.

So either I 'knew' her subconsciously from a previous visit, or my psychic powers are getting stronger.

At the end of the day - an easy shift, and one that I suspect will be typical of my new role.

At the moment, one of the more important stories in London is the visit by the IOC to see if London should hold the 2012 Olympics. Stratford will be the main site, which places it firmly in my 'turf'.

So the streets are alive with the banners, decorated buses and trains and the public debate in order to persuade the public to get behind the Olympic bid.

Which is why our ambulances have been stickered with this...



I'd like London to win the bid - besides being a bit of a giggle, it'd be nice to provide emergency cover for thousands of tourists, athletes and to have the whole 'terrorist' thing to worry about (because I doubt that the 'War on Terror' would be won by then).

That, and it'd be something to tell the non-existent grandchildren.