I've been working night shifts all last week, four normal shifts followed by two on overtime (Saturday and Sunday - what a glutton for punishment I am). Then straight into seven late shifts which run from 4pm until 1am in the morning. It's got me thinking about night shifts. So for the next couple of days I'll be telling you about the horrors, and pleasures of night shifts.

Consider this a theme week, or a theme five days, depending on how much I can get out of the subject...

Last night we were out all night, I think we managed to wave at the ambulance station as we drove past on yet another call. Most of the calls were either drunks (injured hand, asleep in the street, fall and head injury), Maternataxis (including one who was 300 yards from the hospital and was having contractions every 10 minutes), and one overdose who walked on and off the ambulance, but was vomiting a bit.

We were also pulled out of our area to Whipps Cross, and the Royal London which was happening to every ambulance, as I saw a Becontree and Homerton ambulance at Newham. At 4am Control were desperate for ambulances as they were holding seven calls in our area, and there was one ambulance to go around.

I'm working the same shift tonight, starting at 7pm Sunday evening, finishing at 7am Monday morning, going back into work at 4pm later that day. Makes me glad I don't have a long commute.