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Ambulance response times are currently the worst on record and the NHS is struggling to cope with a surge in demand this winter.

Sky News joined West Midlands Ambulance Service paramedic Danny Thompson and ambulance technician Dan Fiedler for a 12-hour shift.

7am: Elderly couple ‘too scared’ to call 999

Freezing fog hangs over Coventry as Danny and Dan make sure their radios are charged and vehicle fully stocked before heading out.

It is unusually quiet to begin with, but just before 8am they get their first call.

The patient is an elderly man who has fallen and injured his arm. They switch on the sirens and the blue lights flash as they speed through the fog.

Arriving at the house, they find the patient, 86-year-old Edward, in bed. Norma, his wife, is sitting next to him.

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Edward’s arm is swollen and purple. It turns out he fell two days ago.

“It said on the television only call if it’s a matter of life and death,” Norma tells Danny.

Danny and Edward in the ambulance
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Danny and Edward in the ambulance

He tells her to call straight away in future. They’re worried patients who need help have been put off calling by the advice given on strike days.

“People are a bit scared to call ambulances because they think they’re going to be stuck in corridors or in the back of an ambulance,” Dan says.

As they prepare to take Edward, who has advanced Parkinson’s, to A&E – they chat.

Dan asks Edward how long he and Norma have been married. “62 years,” he says. “How did you meet?” Dan asks. “In the pictures,” Edward replies.

“He thinks I’m superwoman,” Norma tells Danny, as she details how they manage without any carers.

But she’s relieved to see the paramedics.

“When I rang my heart sank because they stop halfway through and say use www… we’re not on world wide web,” she says. “I’m not moaning really, it’s just that we haven’t kept up to date with our technology”.

Rosemary is reluctant to return to A&E after a previous long wait
Image:
Rosemary is reluctant to return to A&E after a previous long wait

10am: Woman refuses to ‘freeze’ in A&E despite blood clot fear

“Straight in… very unusual,” Danny remarks as they wheel Edward into the A&E department in Coventry where he’ll have an X-ray to check if his arm is broken.

Back outside in the ambulance, their radio beeps to let them know it’s been 12 minutes since they handed Edward over.

That means they’re expected to be ready for the next call.

The next stop is an elderly patient whose district nurse fears could have a blood clot in her leg.

When they get to her house, Rosemary is sitting upstairs.

Her daughter explains they went to A&E a couple of weeks ago and spent hours waiting in a freezing corridor. They don’t want to go back.

After doing some tests Danny and Dan believe it’s fluid and not a blood clot causing the swelling.

They agree to take her to a same-day emergency care unit at the hospital in Nuneaton.

But on their way a category one call comes in. They’re the closest ambulance, so they apologise to Rosemary, switch on blue lights and head in the direction of the call.

A couple of minutes later though, they’re told to stand down.

They continue on their way with Rosemary and apologise for the diversion as they leave her at the hospital.

Rosemary arrives at hospital
Image:
Rosemary arrives at hospital

1pm: Seizure and slow heartbeat dealt with in five minutes

They don’t even get the chance to finish their lunch before another category one call comes in.

The details indicate that an elderly woman is having a seizure.

Inside the house they quickly establish there’s a problem with her heart and it’s serious. She’s already lost consciousness once.

They wheel her into the ambulance and carry out ECG tests. Her heart rate is dropping, there’s a risk it could stop.

Danny calls the hospital in Coventry to tell them to have a team ready.

Machines beep and the patient tells them she’s scared.

Danny and Dan work quickly to stabilise her heart rate. Their reassuring tone as they tell her not to worry contrasts with the urgency of the situation.

They get her to A&E within five minutes. Her heart is still beating, but very slowly.

They’re both just relieved that this wasn’t one of the days they’ve been stuck queuing outside hospital.

“The cardiac condition she had can often result in death if it’s not caught in time,” Danny says.

Dan (left) and Danny
Image:
Dan (left) and Danny

4pm: Good news but it was close

After completing all their paperwork, they finally get a lunch break at about 4.30pm. They can take half an hour, unless a category one call comes in. They head back to base where Dan joins a small group of colleagues.

After 30 minutes, Danny comes to get him. There’s another call.

Sirens on, they make their way to a house nearby. They can’t be sure the patient doesn’t have a blood clot, so they take her to A&E.

While there they find out the heart patient has had emergency surgery to fit a pacemaker. She’s doing well.

It’s good news to end the day. But they know it was close.

“Things can’t go on as they are,” Danny says. “Because we’re going to see patients suffering as a result of that.”

Danny with the female cardiac patient
Image:
Danny with the female cardiac patient

7pm: 12-hour shift over

It’s rare to finish on time this winter – but on this occasion, they pull back into base exactly 12 hours after their shift began.

They restock the ambulance and wave to the teams taking over, before heading off into the night.

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Bradford: One child dies and four other people taken to hospital after house fire

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Bradford: One child dies and four other people taken to hospital after house fire

A child has died in a house fire in Bradford.

A woman and three other children managed to escape the property and are being treated in hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

In a statement, West Yorkshire Police said: “At 1.08 this morning (5 May) police were called by the fire service to reports of a serious house fire on Kingsdale Drive, Bradford.

“A woman and three children managed to escape the property and were taken to hospital for treatment. Their injuries are not life-threatening.

Police at scene of fatal house fire in Bradford
Police at scene of fatal house fire in Bradford

“A fourth child was found inside the address and was sadly pronounced deceased at the scene,” police added.

“A scene is currently in place at the address and police are working with the fire investigators to establish the exact cause of the fire.”

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

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Rishi Sunak urges Tories to stick with his leadership after party suffers shock election losses

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Rishi Sunak urges Tories to stick with his leadership after party suffers shock election losses

Rishi Sunak has urged Tories to stick with his leadership despite the Conservatives’ shock defeat in the West Midlands mayoral election, which capped a dire few days of results for the party.

Sir Keir Starmer called it a “phenomenal result” which was “beyond our expectations” as Labour’s Richard Parker ousted Tory incumbent Andy Street, who had held the role for seven years.

The margin of victory was a cruelly tight 1,508 votes, and compounded Conservative disappointment as it followed another loss to Sadiq Khan in London, who secured a record-breaking third term as the capital’s mayor.

Local elections live
The mayoral election results

“People across the country have had enough of Conservative chaos and decline and voted for change with Labour. Our fantastic new mayor Richard Parker stands ready to deliver a fresh start for the West Midlands,” Sir Keir said.

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‘Devastated’ Andy Street refuses to blame Sunak after West Midlands defeat

However, in an effort to win back those who had deserted his party over Labour’s stance on Gaza, he added: “I say directly to those who may have voted Labour in the past but felt that on this occasion that they couldn’t that across the West Midlands we are a proud and diverse community.

“I have heard you. I have listened. And I am determined to meet your concerns and to gain your respect and trust again in the future.”

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Labour suffered losses to independents and George Galloway’s Worker’s Party of Britain in areas with large Islamic populations as a result of the war between Israel and Hamas.

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Starmer speaks at East Midlands victory rally

But the party virtually swept the mayoral elections board across England, winning in Liverpool, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and in Greater Manchester, where Andy Burnham returned to power.

The Tees Valley was the only remaining splash of blue left on the mayoral election map, where Lord Ben Houchen managed to cling to power despite a huge 14.1-point swing to Labour.

Lord Houchen’s victory was also mired by allegations he had sought to distance himself from Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party at large during his campaign.

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Sadiq Khan re-elected as London Mayor

Losing Mr Street, who is widely respected in the Tory Party and had an impressive track record of bringing investment into the West Midlands, is a body blow to the prime minister.

Despite the drubbing, Mr Sunak urged his party to stick with his leadership and his plan for government.

In a statement, he said: “It’s been disappointing of course to lose dedicated Conservative councillors and Andy Street in the West Midlands, with his track record of providing great public services and attracting significant investment to the area, but that has redoubled my resolve to continue to make progress on our plan.

“So we will continue working as hard as ever to take the fight to Labour and deliver a brighter future for our country.”

Pic: Reuters
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Rishi Sunak with Tees Valley mayor Lord Ben Houchen Pic: Reuters

However, Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, was quick to lay the blame for Tory losses firmly at the door of Number 10.

But she said ousting Mr Sunak “won’t work”, adding: “The hole to dig us out of is the PM’s, and it’s time for him to start shovelling.”

She urged him to adopt “strong leadership, not managerialism” on tax, migration, small boats, and law and order.

But Mr Street took a different view, encouraging the party not to veer to the right.

Asked if he is worried the party is drifting to the right and over-emphasising the threat from Reform UK while “ignoring other voters”, the outgoing mayor told Sky News: “I would definitely not advise that drift.

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Analysis of local election and mayoral results

Read more:
Charts tell story of Conservative collapse
Who is the new West Midlands mayor Richard Parker?

“The psychology here is really very straightforward, isn’t it? This is the youngest, most diverse, one of the most urban places in Britain, and we’ve done, many would say, extremely well over a consistent period,” Mr Street said.

“The message is clear: winning from that centre ground is what happens.”

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‘We will give this region a fresh start’ – Labour’s Richard Parker

Results are in from 106 of the 107 councils in England that held elections on 2 May, and Labour has won 1,140 seats, an increase of more than 200.

The Liberal Democrats beat the Tories into second place, winning 521 seats, up nearly 100.

The Tories were just behind on 513 seats, down nearly 400.

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Conservative Andy Street suffers shock loss to Labour in West Midlands mayoral race in blow to Rishi Sunak

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Conservative Andy Street suffers shock loss to Labour in West Midlands mayoral race in blow to Rishi Sunak

Tory incumbent Andy Street has suffered a shock defeat to Labour in the West Midlands mayoral election after a partial recount was ordered.

Labour’s Richard Parker beat Mr Street by just 1,508 votes – 0.25% – to deliver a major blow to Rishi Sunak in the key electoral battleground after a hammering in the local elections.

With the race neck-and-neck, in the end it came down to the results in one borough – Labour-supporting Sandwell.

“This is the most important thing I will ever do,” Mr Parker said in his acceptance speech.

“I promise you that I will deliver jobs,” he added.

He told Sky News he would take buses “back into public control” and deliver the “largest programme of social housing we’ve had in this region for more than 40 years”.

And he thanked his predecessor, who he said had “led this region through a number of great challenges and you deserve great credit for that”.

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Mr Street told Sky News he was “personally devastated”, had “put my all into this”, and “genuinely believed we were making real progress across the region”.

He said it was “my campaign, totally”, adding: “I’m not going to try to push responsibility anywhere else. There’ll be no sloping shoulders from me.”

He wished his successor “all strength and wisdom”.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was a “phenomenal result” and “beyond our expectations”.

He added: “People across the country have had enough of Conservative chaos and decline and voted for change with Labour.

“My changed Labour Party is back in the service of working people, and stands ready to govern.”

Labour's Richard Parker speaks as he is elected as the new Mayor of West Midlands, following the count at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. Picture date: Saturday May 4, 2024.
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Labour’s Richard Parker has promised to deliver jobs

Local elections live
The mayoral election results

Ellie Reeves, Labour’s deputy national campaign co-ordinator, said it was a “significant victory”.

She added: “Right across the country people have voted for change and the message is clear – it’s time for a general election and a Labour government to get our country’s future back.”

Labour’s Sadiq Khan has secured a historic third term as London mayor with a convincing win over Conservative rival Susan Hall.

These results will increase pressure on the prime minister, who had been hoping for a repeat of the success enjoyed by Conservative Ben Houchen who held on as the mayor of Tees Valley.

Sam Coates, Sky News’s deputy political editor, said he had seen messages from Conservative MPs’ WhatsApp group.

One from former cabinet minister Simon Clarke, whom Coates said “wants Rishi Sunak to leave”, said: “These results are awful and should be a massive wake-up call.

“If we fight the same campaign in a few months [in the general election] we’ll get the same outcome or rather worse.

“Reform UK standing more candidates will cause greater damage.”

Read more:
The winners and losers
Charts tell story of Conservative collapse

Analysis: Labour’s future success is less clear-cut

The loss of either the Teesside or West Midlands mayoralties would give Tory rebels who want to change leader a “huge amount of fuel”, former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said in the Electoral Dysfunction podcast.

Mr Street, who was seeking a third term in office, sought to distance himself from the Conservative brand during his campaign and instead ran on a personal platform.

Sky News recently revealed that Mr Street was sending out election literature with an endorsement from former prime minister Boris Johnson which urged people to “forget about the government”.

His campaign website also made no mention of Mr Sunak on its homepage and was coloured in green rather than Conservative blue.

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