Paramedics from West Midlands Ambulance Service are set to become TV stars in a new 8-part documentary series, starting on BBC1 next week.

With unparalleled access, each episode follows the call-handlers and ambulance dispatchers in the regions two control-rooms along with the ambulance crews out on the ground as they respond to over 3,000 emergency 999 calls every single day.

Covering a diverse region of more than 5,000 square miles – West Midlands Ambulance Service deals with emergencies across the region; from rural areas of Herefordshire to the Staffordshire Moorlands to the busy urban centres of Birmingham and the Black Country. During the programmes, you’ll get to see how dispatchers and crews deal with an increasingly busy service, an ageing population, and the challenges of working with out-of-hours services and GP surgeries as well A&E departments who are also getting increasingly busy. WMAS Chief Executive, Anthony Marsh, said:

“The thing that comes over from these programmes is the incredible professionalism of our staff as they deal with the challenges that they are presented with, never knowing what the next call might bring. I am proud that we have been able to show the diverse nature of our workforce and how we interact with people from every community in the West Midlands.

“You will get a chance to experience the challenges of dealing with everything from cardiac arrests to violent attacks, the second by second decisions our staff face and how those decisions affects our staff as they deal with each case.

"Sometimes it isn’t easy viewing, but the actions of our staff are exceptional and I am so very proud of them.”

Jo Hughes, Series Producer at makers Dragonfly Television, added:

“Ambulance goes way beyond the traditional genre of blue flashing lights television and really explores the stories of people in crisis against a backdrop of mounting pressures, from political to societal changes.  

"We’re extremely proud of the new series which reflects the compassion, diversity of work, and difficult decisions both ambulance crews and staff in the control rooms have to make every day.”

Ambulance starts on BBC One on Thursday 24^th August at 9.00pm.