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.