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A Year In Green: The Unfiltered Life Of A Paramedic
In this brutally honest, offensively funny paramedic memoir, NHS paramedic Trevor Wain documents one full year on the UK ambulance service frontline — every patient, every shift, exactly as it happened.
No heroes. No glory. Just bodily fluids, broken systems, caffeine dependency, and a sense of humour so dark it probably needs a safeguarding referral.
This isn’t a book about Hollywood heroics.
It’s a true reflection of life as a working NHS paramedic — the bits the documentaries avoid and the PR team would rather you didn’t see.
With biting patients, déjà poo, and coffin conundrums, this best-selling NHS diary will have you captivated throughout — frequently laughing out loud, occasionally gasping, and at least once hoping nobody notices you’ve wet yourself in public laughing so much.
Some days involve genuine life-or-death emergencies.
Other days involve furious relatives, bodily fluids that defy physics or simply a celebrity football match. Should we prepare for the terrorist attack or nurse our jelly legs?
Written by an accidental author who is dyslexic enough to have briefly believed the word paramedic was actually paralytic — and somehow still got through university (mostly sober)— A Year in Green is a dark humour medical memoir packed with real ambulance stories, medical gallows humour, and the uncomfortable truth of frontline NHS life.
every single patient, attended over one full year on an NHS ambulance
Let the reviews speak for themselves.
No heroes. No glory. Just bodily fluids, broken systems, caffeine dependency, and a sense of humour so dark it probably needs a safeguarding referral.
This isn’t a book about Hollywood heroics.
It’s a true reflection of life as a working NHS paramedic — the bits the documentaries avoid and the PR team would rather you didn’t see.
With biting patients, déjà poo, and coffin conundrums, this best-selling NHS diary will have you captivated throughout — frequently laughing out loud, occasionally gasping, and at least once hoping nobody notices you’ve wet yourself in public laughing so much.
Some days involve genuine life-or-death emergencies.
Other days involve furious relatives, bodily fluids that defy physics or simply a celebrity football match. Should we prepare for the terrorist attack or nurse our jelly legs?
Written by an accidental author who is dyslexic enough to have briefly believed the word paramedic was actually paralytic — and somehow still got through university (mostly sober)— A Year in Green is a dark humour medical memoir packed with real ambulance stories, medical gallows humour, and the uncomfortable truth of frontline NHS life.
every single patient, attended over one full year on an NHS ambulance
Let the reviews speak for themselves.
- GenresNonfiction
381 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 16, 2025
79 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 16, 2026
Real Life as it is
I nearly stopped reading this book halfway through, not because it was no good but exactly the opposite. Trevor describes the job of a paramedic in such a way that you feel that you are there with him and there was only so much real life that I could take so I had a break and came back and finished the book later.
If you have ever wondered what a paramedic does then this is the book for you. If you haven’t, then this is still the book for you and you will learn something. In real life being a paramedic is nothing like you see on TV, much more to do with care homes and the smell of wee. Read this book, it will educate you.
I nearly stopped reading this book halfway through, not because it was no good but exactly the opposite. Trevor describes the job of a paramedic in such a way that you feel that you are there with him and there was only so much real life that I could take so I had a break and came back and finished the book later.
If you have ever wondered what a paramedic does then this is the book for you. If you haven’t, then this is still the book for you and you will learn something. In real life being a paramedic is nothing like you see on TV, much more to do with care homes and the smell of wee. Read this book, it will educate you.
March 29, 2026
A fantastic insight into this job, the highs, the lows & everything in between.
Every politician should be forced to read this because frankly some extracts just make your blood boil - for me, day 126.2 in particular.
Many incidents struck a chord on a personal level & many for the sheer rawness & cruelty of life (137.4)
But, my god, to I have absolute respect for the resilience of everyone who devotes their working life to wearing green.
Thank you Trevor & all the other Trevors & Trevoresses out there for every shift, not just because of what you deal with but also because you quietly accept that more often than not, every shift will likely end in a late finish.
Every politician should be forced to read this because frankly some extracts just make your blood boil - for me, day 126.2 in particular.
Many incidents struck a chord on a personal level & many for the sheer rawness & cruelty of life (137.4)
But, my god, to I have absolute respect for the resilience of everyone who devotes their working life to wearing green.
Thank you Trevor & all the other Trevors & Trevoresses out there for every shift, not just because of what you deal with but also because you quietly accept that more often than not, every shift will likely end in a late finish.
February 9, 2026
An interesting book, but not really for the over 65 ‘s . Wondering are we the next patient? Most of it is about the elderly of which i am one. Makes me wonder what people think the ambulance service is actually for. No wonder you people are over worked . Have great sympathy for ambulance crews , always between a rock and a hard place.
April 11, 2026
Fab read!
Having had the pleasure of working with the rather awesome Trev, I have to say I loved thus book. He has captured the life of a paramedic, or whatever grade you are, perfectly. Keep up the good work Mr W!
Having had the pleasure of working with the rather awesome Trev, I have to say I loved thus book. He has captured the life of a paramedic, or whatever grade you are, perfectly. Keep up the good work Mr W!
August 25, 2025
A really interesting read and an insight into what our heroes do daily! Really enjoyed this and fully recommend others to read it too :):)
October 21, 2025
A good account of the work life of a paramedic.
I did want a bit more as read as a patient log. I would have liked to know how his work affected his personal life and family.
I did want a bit more as read as a patient log. I would have liked to know how his work affected his personal life and family.
February 28, 2026
Easy to pick up and put down with all the little patient interactions!! Would recommend if you enjoy medical, but not ‘too’ medical! Great balance of humour and serious!
November 19, 2025
Thank you for reading my book and leaving a review. It’s an honour to see them.
I also enjoy seeing people who are currently or wanting to read this book.
I can’t express how much it means to me, you taking the me time to read and comment.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart ❤️
I also enjoy seeing people who are currently or wanting to read this book.
I can’t express how much it means to me, you taking the me time to read and comment.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart ❤️
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews