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Emergency Admissions: Memoirs of an Ambulance Driver
‘Heart-stopping, eye-opening and jaw-dropping. Sometimes painful, sometimes sad, often very, very funny.’ Craig Brown
'An adrenaline-filled ride through the highs and lows of life on the NHS frontline... Memorable and blackly humorous.' Express
A machete-wielding drunk with a long history of mental illness; an S&M party gone horribly wrong; a teenage girl with suspicious abdominal pains; and a man who's fainted, frightened he's allergic to his cheese and onion sandwich... it's just another day at work for Kit Wharton.
After a childhood pickled in alcohol and punctuated by parental fighting, Kit Wharton joined the NHS ambulance service. He hasn't looked back. THis is his report from the frontline: 999 calls that hurtle him to the critical moments in other people's lives.
'An adrenaline-filled ride through the highs and lows of life on the NHS frontline... Memorable and blackly humorous.' Express
A machete-wielding drunk with a long history of mental illness; an S&M party gone horribly wrong; a teenage girl with suspicious abdominal pains; and a man who's fainted, frightened he's allergic to his cheese and onion sandwich... it's just another day at work for Kit Wharton.
After a childhood pickled in alcohol and punctuated by parental fighting, Kit Wharton joined the NHS ambulance service. He hasn't looked back. THis is his report from the frontline: 999 calls that hurtle him to the critical moments in other people's lives.
227 pages, Paperback
First published February 9, 2017
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421 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
March 24, 2019
The best thing about this book is the blurb. Otherwise, sadly mediocre.
June 14, 2017
Ever since reading an article about Kit Wharton and this book last year in the I newspaper I knew I wanted to read it. This is an intriguing book, full of short case studies of different patients, with a variety of ailments (as well as some with none!) These stories range from alcoholics and vagrants, to children and the elderly.
One thing I didn't expect was the dark/black humour that is a feature throughout - maybe this is the authors way of getting through each day in such a stressful job, a release if you will. He has a talent for knowing exactly how to treat the less than respectful patients as well as those who may perpetuate violence. This feeds back to his experiences in early life, dealing with alcohol dependent parents who often fought.
Most people know what they will encounter each day at work but this book shows how the variety of jobs an ambulance crews receives are very unpredictable. Some stories describe critical situations where the chance of death is high and medical treatment essential, whereas others tell of the mentally ill, calling 999 repeatedly despite them having gone out to the address and deemed medical attention unnecessary. The latter are known in the job as timewasters but they have a duty to go to each and every call, even those from the same individual who has already been visited by them 4 times in the last hour or so. The calls only stopped when they hid his phone!
What makes this book different is that, as far as I am aware, this is the first book of its kind, describing in depth the day-to-day experiences of those working in the ambulance service. All identifying features, such as names of people and places, are either changed or unmentioned to protect privacy. Although there is no doubt that having full disclosure of these aspects would be interesting, the reason we can enjoy the detail in this book is due to the anonymity.
I found myself finishing this very quickly as I did not want to put it down. It is a book you can fit in any time you have a spare minute due to the small sections it's broken up into. There is a minimum of medical jargon and where it is used it is explained clearly & coherently. I really admire the humour with which he writes, finding humour in the most dark and desperate situations. Although the synopsis may indicate it is going to be a book with a serious tone, Wharton manages to apply his sense of humour and change the feel of the book completely.
We should all take note of this book as it is a rare insight into the personnel who keep the NHS ambulance service running. This is especially true in light of the recent NHS crisis - it is these individuals that prevent it from crumbling altogether.
One thing I didn't expect was the dark/black humour that is a feature throughout - maybe this is the authors way of getting through each day in such a stressful job, a release if you will. He has a talent for knowing exactly how to treat the less than respectful patients as well as those who may perpetuate violence. This feeds back to his experiences in early life, dealing with alcohol dependent parents who often fought.
Most people know what they will encounter each day at work but this book shows how the variety of jobs an ambulance crews receives are very unpredictable. Some stories describe critical situations where the chance of death is high and medical treatment essential, whereas others tell of the mentally ill, calling 999 repeatedly despite them having gone out to the address and deemed medical attention unnecessary. The latter are known in the job as timewasters but they have a duty to go to each and every call, even those from the same individual who has already been visited by them 4 times in the last hour or so. The calls only stopped when they hid his phone!
What makes this book different is that, as far as I am aware, this is the first book of its kind, describing in depth the day-to-day experiences of those working in the ambulance service. All identifying features, such as names of people and places, are either changed or unmentioned to protect privacy. Although there is no doubt that having full disclosure of these aspects would be interesting, the reason we can enjoy the detail in this book is due to the anonymity.
I found myself finishing this very quickly as I did not want to put it down. It is a book you can fit in any time you have a spare minute due to the small sections it's broken up into. There is a minimum of medical jargon and where it is used it is explained clearly & coherently. I really admire the humour with which he writes, finding humour in the most dark and desperate situations. Although the synopsis may indicate it is going to be a book with a serious tone, Wharton manages to apply his sense of humour and change the feel of the book completely.
We should all take note of this book as it is a rare insight into the personnel who keep the NHS ambulance service running. This is especially true in light of the recent NHS crisis - it is these individuals that prevent it from crumbling altogether.
November 15, 2019
This was a medical memoir that I picked up on a Kobo deal a few months back, knowing just from the blurb that Emergency Admissions was not going to be an easy read. The real-life experiences of an ambulance driver and some of the many patients that he experienced during his travels and treatment. It had it all from the young to the old, the drunk to mothers to be to horrible accidents on some busy roads. Some T/W for blood and some upsetting scenes but would recommend if you like watching on TV the show Ambulance or 999, What's Your Emergency?
September 14, 2017
Full Review:
First things first, a disclaimer: I will always have a biast opinion when it comes to this kind of book. Why? Because I too am a first responder. I go to jobs where it is absolute chaos, and the lights and sirens are blaring, and try to make sense of it. Try to help the injured, comfort the victim and occasionally deal with the “bad guy” who nobody wishes to go near. I have utmost empathy and sympathy with everyone who wears this uniform, be it fire, ambulance or police, and goes out and tries to do the best by the public, despite being constantly scrutinised by the public and told how to do their jobs via youtube. This book will be full of trigger warnings for some, as it involves: domestic violence, mental health, car accidents…everything you would expect for an ambulance or emergency services crew to deal with daily. If that puts you off reading it, so be it.
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, onto the review. This is a book of memoirs by a paramedic who works within one of the UK’s ambulance service. The title of this book is a bit of a joke in itself because so many people refer to paramedics and technicians as “ambulance drivers”, because obviously that is all they do- drive the nee naws (hear the sarcasm!). Whereas what they do in the back of that ambulance can range from a basic health assessment to performing crucial life saving steps on a patient in cardiac arrest both prior to and on arrival at the hospital, which can make the difference between life and death. But you know, they drive the ambulances too. That is kind of the point of this book. To show what actually goes on “inside” the ambulance. To show the strain on them, and the vast range of incidents they attend, and what they see and deal with.
Books like this are important. They show just how much strain the NHS and Ambulance service, along with other emergency services like police and fire, are under thanks to the government cut backs. The demand is horrific and there are not enough numbers out there to deal with it. But we deal with it as best we can, skipping meals and rest breaks constantly (normally working 12 hour shifts without any food breaks or sometimes going 6 hours without a toilet break) because there are constantly jobs coming in where people need help. They need help and we have to go, we cannot say “no”. The problem is that there are too many “frequent fliers” who call 999 for the most ridiculous of things, but because they know the buzzwords to say, they know how to guarantee they will get a crew at their door. And because someone goes to him down the road who stubbed his toe and can’t be bothered doing first aid himself, it means there are no crews available to go to the 80 year old woman who has fallen in the kitchen by herself and can’t get off the floor.
The night time economy in the UK causes such utter chaos for the services because everyone here thinks it is a “good laugh” to drink until they vomit or pass out, not realising that so much of our violence and hospital visits stem from drinking themselves silly on alcohol, despite knowing full well their own limits. Don’t even get me started on the severe lack of mental health care (which ultimately winds up falling to the responsibility of ambulance or police despite them having hardly any training or powers to deal with it, it is all persuasion and negotiations.).
Books like this are important for showing that side of the strain on the emergency services, but also the other side. The quiet side. The side that nobody but the families of the workers see. Emergency services have one of the highest rates of PTSD after the military, because of everything they see and deal with. A uniform turns up on the scene of a horrific car accident and the general public breathe a sigh of relief, “phew, they’ll make it all better and okay now”. But who looks after the worker who had to lift a unconscious baby from the car seat and spend an hour doing CPR only for it to not make it? That type of incident will always leave a mark on the soul. And nobody seems to realise how much weight this will carry for the individuals themselves.
I gave this book a four out of five stars, and I’ve already explained why I will always have a biast opinion of this type of book. I believe it is important. I know because I deal with it. The names, dates and locations within the book are changed or not disclosed in order to protect privacy of those involved, but these are real incidents, involving real people. There is a range of incidents covering domestic violence, road traffic collisions, alcohol induced stupidity and mental health. It is raw, and real and so important.
I recommend this to people who enjoy this type of genre, memoirs, watching emergency services documentaries, or even fellow first responders. And please, if anyone out there is a first responder and needs to talk about something, please, please reach out and speak to someone. In the UK there is a charity called “blue light mind” which is specifically set up for those in EMS.
“In this service, you deal with death and tragedy, injury and illness, misery and loss. And if you can’t laugh about that lot, what the hell can you laugh about?”
Have you read this book or a similar one like it? What did you think? Did it change any of your opinions over how topics are handled? Should these types of books be allowed to be published or are they too sensitive? (I’ve seen some mixed reviews on goodreads due to some controversy).
find more of my reviews at http://thebookheap.wordpress.com
First things first, a disclaimer: I will always have a biast opinion when it comes to this kind of book. Why? Because I too am a first responder. I go to jobs where it is absolute chaos, and the lights and sirens are blaring, and try to make sense of it. Try to help the injured, comfort the victim and occasionally deal with the “bad guy” who nobody wishes to go near. I have utmost empathy and sympathy with everyone who wears this uniform, be it fire, ambulance or police, and goes out and tries to do the best by the public, despite being constantly scrutinised by the public and told how to do their jobs via youtube. This book will be full of trigger warnings for some, as it involves: domestic violence, mental health, car accidents…everything you would expect for an ambulance or emergency services crew to deal with daily. If that puts you off reading it, so be it.
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, onto the review. This is a book of memoirs by a paramedic who works within one of the UK’s ambulance service. The title of this book is a bit of a joke in itself because so many people refer to paramedics and technicians as “ambulance drivers”, because obviously that is all they do- drive the nee naws (hear the sarcasm!). Whereas what they do in the back of that ambulance can range from a basic health assessment to performing crucial life saving steps on a patient in cardiac arrest both prior to and on arrival at the hospital, which can make the difference between life and death. But you know, they drive the ambulances too. That is kind of the point of this book. To show what actually goes on “inside” the ambulance. To show the strain on them, and the vast range of incidents they attend, and what they see and deal with.
Books like this are important. They show just how much strain the NHS and Ambulance service, along with other emergency services like police and fire, are under thanks to the government cut backs. The demand is horrific and there are not enough numbers out there to deal with it. But we deal with it as best we can, skipping meals and rest breaks constantly (normally working 12 hour shifts without any food breaks or sometimes going 6 hours without a toilet break) because there are constantly jobs coming in where people need help. They need help and we have to go, we cannot say “no”. The problem is that there are too many “frequent fliers” who call 999 for the most ridiculous of things, but because they know the buzzwords to say, they know how to guarantee they will get a crew at their door. And because someone goes to him down the road who stubbed his toe and can’t be bothered doing first aid himself, it means there are no crews available to go to the 80 year old woman who has fallen in the kitchen by herself and can’t get off the floor.
The night time economy in the UK causes such utter chaos for the services because everyone here thinks it is a “good laugh” to drink until they vomit or pass out, not realising that so much of our violence and hospital visits stem from drinking themselves silly on alcohol, despite knowing full well their own limits. Don’t even get me started on the severe lack of mental health care (which ultimately winds up falling to the responsibility of ambulance or police despite them having hardly any training or powers to deal with it, it is all persuasion and negotiations.).
Books like this are important for showing that side of the strain on the emergency services, but also the other side. The quiet side. The side that nobody but the families of the workers see. Emergency services have one of the highest rates of PTSD after the military, because of everything they see and deal with. A uniform turns up on the scene of a horrific car accident and the general public breathe a sigh of relief, “phew, they’ll make it all better and okay now”. But who looks after the worker who had to lift a unconscious baby from the car seat and spend an hour doing CPR only for it to not make it? That type of incident will always leave a mark on the soul. And nobody seems to realise how much weight this will carry for the individuals themselves.
I gave this book a four out of five stars, and I’ve already explained why I will always have a biast opinion of this type of book. I believe it is important. I know because I deal with it. The names, dates and locations within the book are changed or not disclosed in order to protect privacy of those involved, but these are real incidents, involving real people. There is a range of incidents covering domestic violence, road traffic collisions, alcohol induced stupidity and mental health. It is raw, and real and so important.
I recommend this to people who enjoy this type of genre, memoirs, watching emergency services documentaries, or even fellow first responders. And please, if anyone out there is a first responder and needs to talk about something, please, please reach out and speak to someone. In the UK there is a charity called “blue light mind” which is specifically set up for those in EMS.
“In this service, you deal with death and tragedy, injury and illness, misery and loss. And if you can’t laugh about that lot, what the hell can you laugh about?”
Have you read this book or a similar one like it? What did you think? Did it change any of your opinions over how topics are handled? Should these types of books be allowed to be published or are they too sensitive? (I’ve seen some mixed reviews on goodreads due to some controversy).
find more of my reviews at http://thebookheap.wordpress.com
April 1, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. I had no knowledge of what paramedics do despite being in healthcare myself but I loved this and it really strayed from the kind of book I'd normally read. The anecdotes ranged from single pages to a fair bit longer so I really enjoyed reading this especially at bedtime when I only fancied a few pages. Really good and humorous insight into the life of a paramedic.
November 17, 2017
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this review copy.
I love books like this. I like reading anecdotes and true stories about different professions. I've read ones by doctors, policemen and even vets. This is the first one from an ambulance driver! It was an amusing book in parts, with some sadder stories. Obviously if you work in this line of work you tend to develop a dark sense of humour, I suppose the theory being if you didn't laugh you would cry, so even some of the sadder stories had a humourous tone to them.
The criticism I would have for this book is that I would have loved more stories and less of the personal story of the author. At the start of every chapter, there is a section where the author writes about his life, specifically his childhood. To be honest, I didn't feel it was needed in this book and it didn't interest me. But on the whole it was a good, interesting book!
Four Stars!
I love books like this. I like reading anecdotes and true stories about different professions. I've read ones by doctors, policemen and even vets. This is the first one from an ambulance driver! It was an amusing book in parts, with some sadder stories. Obviously if you work in this line of work you tend to develop a dark sense of humour, I suppose the theory being if you didn't laugh you would cry, so even some of the sadder stories had a humourous tone to them.
The criticism I would have for this book is that I would have loved more stories and less of the personal story of the author. At the start of every chapter, there is a section where the author writes about his life, specifically his childhood. To be honest, I didn't feel it was needed in this book and it didn't interest me. But on the whole it was a good, interesting book!
Four Stars!
Read
February 25, 2017Lovely book. Mixing the sad and sometimes funny childhood of the author with his sad and funny adventures as an ambulance driver.
February 11, 2018
"If you even think you know people, you don't know them well enough." I ate this book up. It's a short story collection of the ambulance driver, mixed with job and personal life moments. And the book is so raw, it's like reading a very good text which hasn't been through editing yet. Although not very educational, but it wouldn't go together with the wonderful pessimistic humor anyway. I don't think I ever read a book where you can feel how much the author wants to get the stories off his chest.
March 2, 2017
A good reads giveaway, so thank you. An enjoyable read, think the words given 'A must-read book, eye-opening and jaw-dropping', were rather exaggerated, that said I would recommend it to friends. There is a scattering of foul language that I thought wasn't really necessary as they didn't add anything to what was being said.
May 10, 2018
A haphazard collection of sometimes mildly interesting stories that never seem to have much of a point to them. Punctuated with anecdotes of alcoholic parents being alcoholics. Nothing new or exciting here. Perhaps it’s because of what I do but I didn’t find any of these stories very good. A quick easy read for when you have nothing else.
February 7, 2022
This was a very entertaining and informative read. I especially loved the very ‘English’ vibe of a lot of the stories. In the middle of a crisis situation, or after a very dramatic intervention, there is always time for a cup of tea. And the dry, casual description of some of the more outrageous situations the author encounters during his work often made me laugh out loud. The only flaw of the book is that it is mostly a collection of separate anekdotes and stories that abruptly ends without any type of conclusion. The book may have benefitted from a clearer narrative arc, but nevertheless I really enjoyed the stories.
May 24, 2021
This book has been sitting on my shelf for well over a year now and I'm not really sure why I haven't picked it up but so glad I did.
Along the same vein (if you pardon the pun) of Adam Kay's This Is Going To Hurt its a wonderful insight into the highs and lows of life as a paramedic coupled with reflections back into his own past.
Speedy, zippy read, much like an ambulance🚑!
🚑🚑🚑🚑/5
Along the same vein (if you pardon the pun) of Adam Kay's This Is Going To Hurt its a wonderful insight into the highs and lows of life as a paramedic coupled with reflections back into his own past.
Speedy, zippy read, much like an ambulance🚑!
🚑🚑🚑🚑/5
August 4, 2025
1.5 stars - honestly, i was expecting something like adam kay’s books but this fell so short for me. wharton flitted between being liberal to weirdly conservative and never settled on a tone for the book. each section was themed but so loosely and pointlessly.
February 20, 2023
The paramedic version of ‘this is going to hurt’ by Adam Kay!
July 25, 2017
This was a fantastic book. The stories were a mixture of funny, and heartbreaking. Looking after the family is just as important as the patient. I hope that Kit writes more as there is no details of how to contact him to see if he's writing more which is a shame as I loved this.
May 23, 2017
I struggled with this book. For someone who studied journalism and even worked as a journalist, it was poorly written. Kit Wharton writes like I imagine he would talk, and it just does not read well. Plus his jokes really aren't funny. He tried to sort the anecdotes into categories, and even that did not work - the structure of the book was too all over the place for my liking.
The thing that redeemed it for me was that he really has experienced a lot, and his stories are genuinely captivating and interesting. Us "regular people" don't always realise what paramedics have to deal with on a daily basis, and it was a real eye opener.
Quick read though, which was probably the biggest plus.
The thing that redeemed it for me was that he really has experienced a lot, and his stories are genuinely captivating and interesting. Us "regular people" don't always realise what paramedics have to deal with on a daily basis, and it was a real eye opener.
Quick read though, which was probably the biggest plus.
January 22, 2020
I love anything to do with the emergency services; I spend a lot of time watching documentaries about it on telly, and I sort of wish, in another life, I could be a doctor or a police woman. So I knew I would love this book. It's a collection of short stories from a first responder - his experiences as an ambulance driver in anecdotes. It's raw, heartbreaking, eye-opening and humourous in one fell swoop. It includes everything from childbirth, cardiac arrest, alcoholic frequent flyers and, most infuriating of all, time-wasters. A brilliantly entertaining book, one that makes me want to jack my job in and become a paramedic!
April 4, 2017
I am not too sure about this book.... I found some bits funny... sad.... some made me angry!! I just found the author judgemental and irritating although less so towards the end of the book... I thought this was going to be like confessions of a gp.. and I think that is what the book was aiming for... it just wasn't as good at al!!! A good look into the life of a paramedic and there can be no doubt in how hard their job is... but I feel the author tries to make it too funny and ends up sounding like a bit of an idiot in my opinion.
December 26, 2017
Some fun stories. Nice writing style, mostly. Free of clinical howlers, so far as I could see. But "lady police officer" and "WPC"? In 2017? Oh dear.
October 27, 2025
Thoroughly engaging read, makes you wonder why anyone would be mad enough to work in the emergency services 😅 these people see humanity at its best and worst. Kit Wharton shares these stories with a great balance of humour and sincereness. If you don't laugh, you’ll cry (*you can do both). You need to be able to cope with the horrific in this line of work and humour is a good tool for that.
Kit talks about how he was drawn to the ambulance service after an unstable childhood because it seemed straightforward - learn and follow the protocols for things that can happen and bob’s your uncle… alas no, no matter how many years you do the job, something will still come along and surprise you. He also talks about feeling a need for control, developing OCD, and how the ambulance service is “all about being in control when everything’s gone pear shaped.” -pg 79
“I buried him in the front garden.
You should’ve let the children see his body, Jo said. It introduces them to death.
Fuck that, I thought. I didn’t want to see it myself.
(Odd to see dead bodies nearly every week but end up crying over a hamster.)” -pg 99
I enjoyed the parts on blue light driving and how the service doesn’t call it driving “fast” and after 8 years of no accidents, Kit was involved in one on a night shift. The ways chapters end hinting at the next chapter was one of the reasons this book is so absorbing. One of the moments he was sincere and vulnerable was the chapter on his worst mistake, that will stay with me for a long time.
There is a lot of talking about “treating” families as well as patients. Especially loved the part where Kit talks about when he was a kid and his dad called 999 for his mum having a suspected overdose and he always has that memory on his mind when he goes to calls similar to that. He talked of playing with a child on Christmas Day and “I ended up swinging little one round the room while she screamed with excitement, then blew her up an enormous balloon. We played catch with it in A&E. Hopefully she’ll have some nice memories of that night”. It’s the clinical knowledge and skills that paramedics and EMS frontliners hold that makes an incredible difference (and saves lives), but it is also the little things; the jokes to ease tension, the cup of tea, the sitting and listening that people will remember for a long time.
I found the way the author compared having dirty feet to "almost" having black skin in poor taste (a badly constructed sentence). And parts of the book are very snarky. But overall I enjoyed it.
“It’s not how you die that’s important. It’s how you live.” -pg 39
Kit talks about how he was drawn to the ambulance service after an unstable childhood because it seemed straightforward - learn and follow the protocols for things that can happen and bob’s your uncle… alas no, no matter how many years you do the job, something will still come along and surprise you. He also talks about feeling a need for control, developing OCD, and how the ambulance service is “all about being in control when everything’s gone pear shaped.” -pg 79
“I buried him in the front garden.
You should’ve let the children see his body, Jo said. It introduces them to death.
Fuck that, I thought. I didn’t want to see it myself.
(Odd to see dead bodies nearly every week but end up crying over a hamster.)” -pg 99
I enjoyed the parts on blue light driving and how the service doesn’t call it driving “fast” and after 8 years of no accidents, Kit was involved in one on a night shift. The ways chapters end hinting at the next chapter was one of the reasons this book is so absorbing. One of the moments he was sincere and vulnerable was the chapter on his worst mistake, that will stay with me for a long time.
There is a lot of talking about “treating” families as well as patients. Especially loved the part where Kit talks about when he was a kid and his dad called 999 for his mum having a suspected overdose and he always has that memory on his mind when he goes to calls similar to that. He talked of playing with a child on Christmas Day and “I ended up swinging little one round the room while she screamed with excitement, then blew her up an enormous balloon. We played catch with it in A&E. Hopefully she’ll have some nice memories of that night”. It’s the clinical knowledge and skills that paramedics and EMS frontliners hold that makes an incredible difference (and saves lives), but it is also the little things; the jokes to ease tension, the cup of tea, the sitting and listening that people will remember for a long time.
I found the way the author compared having dirty feet to "almost" having black skin in poor taste (a badly constructed sentence). And parts of the book are very snarky. But overall I enjoyed it.
“It’s not how you die that’s important. It’s how you live.” -pg 39
December 3, 2017
Kit Wharton drifted around through life.
After a troubled background of warring alcoholic parents, he tried unsuccessful stints in journalism and house removal. Then he joined the British National Health service as a Ambulance Driver/Paramedic.
From the frontlines of the ‘frequent flyers’, the elderly and mentally ill, with copious amounts of bodily fluids, Wharton has seen it all and more besides.
He estimates in 15 years, Wharton has seen between 10 to 20,000 emergency callouts. First impressions, show that the big type face and snappy sections make this book a literary form of those quirky sidebars in the tabloids: ‘A routine call turned unexpected when one emergency crew entered the scene to face..’
Being on the frontline of emergency medical calls, it’s not a stretch to imagine what they encounter: ‘frequent flyers’ dealing with overscribed callers dealing with mental health, car accidents, the elderly and other visits involving machetes, sex toys, pit bulls, dingy flats and everything in between.
Intentions of a quick read to meet Goodread’s yearly target were mostly met, nearly until the very end. Like walking a country trail, a couple of those fuzzy burrs inadvertently caught hold of my conscience.
For all the amusing tales of the absurdity of the human condition, Wharton made a few strikes. His observation that the innocent power of touch alone resonated. Sometimes, at key moments, the holding of someone’s hand in crisis can mean and do so much.
His references to his dysfunctional parents distracted from the main narrative. I was also at odds when he was called out to a ‘sweet old man’ called Oscar who had an innocuous fender bender, yet was then tested over the limit. Read the case for yourself, but what about the next time?
Yet, it was the very last call that hit the home run; summoning up in one case why we depend on these compassionate people when our own world suddenly comes into sharp focus.
His name was ‘Frank’ and once again it made me gasp out at McDonalds holding back a tear.
If nothing else, especially at this time of the year in December, reserve this book for your daily throne visit read. To remind you how lucky you are to have these genuine hard working people out there when we most need them.
A quirky read which will catch you in the end. 8/10
After a troubled background of warring alcoholic parents, he tried unsuccessful stints in journalism and house removal. Then he joined the British National Health service as a Ambulance Driver/Paramedic.
From the frontlines of the ‘frequent flyers’, the elderly and mentally ill, with copious amounts of bodily fluids, Wharton has seen it all and more besides.
He estimates in 15 years, Wharton has seen between 10 to 20,000 emergency callouts. First impressions, show that the big type face and snappy sections make this book a literary form of those quirky sidebars in the tabloids: ‘A routine call turned unexpected when one emergency crew entered the scene to face..’
Being on the frontline of emergency medical calls, it’s not a stretch to imagine what they encounter: ‘frequent flyers’ dealing with overscribed callers dealing with mental health, car accidents, the elderly and other visits involving machetes, sex toys, pit bulls, dingy flats and everything in between.
Intentions of a quick read to meet Goodread’s yearly target were mostly met, nearly until the very end. Like walking a country trail, a couple of those fuzzy burrs inadvertently caught hold of my conscience.
For all the amusing tales of the absurdity of the human condition, Wharton made a few strikes. His observation that the innocent power of touch alone resonated. Sometimes, at key moments, the holding of someone’s hand in crisis can mean and do so much.
His references to his dysfunctional parents distracted from the main narrative. I was also at odds when he was called out to a ‘sweet old man’ called Oscar who had an innocuous fender bender, yet was then tested over the limit. Read the case for yourself, but what about the next time?
Yet, it was the very last call that hit the home run; summoning up in one case why we depend on these compassionate people when our own world suddenly comes into sharp focus.
His name was ‘Frank’ and once again it made me gasp out at McDonalds holding back a tear.
If nothing else, especially at this time of the year in December, reserve this book for your daily throne visit read. To remind you how lucky you are to have these genuine hard working people out there when we most need them.
A quirky read which will catch you in the end. 8/10
June 29, 2025
I will admit, going into this book, that I have had the greatest pleasure of working alongside Kit, and that I will continue to have the pleasure of working with Kit. His book is a wonderful insight into his personality, and himself as a person, and reading this book feels like sitting in the front of the truck chatting with him on the way to a job. I highly enjoyed this book, and felt it was a fair representation of life within the service. Where many books and shows prioritise the high intensity of the medical world, Kit gives a good insight into the mundane of it all, and the typical run of the mill job that consumes so many hours of our time. I found that while this book may seem a little cynical and biased, it is again a very fair insight into the reality of the thought process of an ambulance staff member. Because the reality is, that Kit brings to light the real way we think in service. He talks about his jobs and experience in the way that we do when no one who doesn’t understand can hear, and while some things he says may seem shocking or unkind to those without experience of working for the ambulance service, the truth is that sometimes, we all feel like this. There are jobs where you may be biased, or angry, or annoyed, or upset, or apathetic or whatever else, and Kit has demonstrated the reality of it.
Some may like that, some may not.
At the end of the day, it’s a very fair insight into how it truly is and feels.
I highly enjoyed Kit’s book, and I look forward to the prospect of future shifts alongside him.
Some may like that, some may not.
At the end of the day, it’s a very fair insight into how it truly is and feels.
I highly enjoyed Kit’s book, and I look forward to the prospect of future shifts alongside him.
March 6, 2017
Joining the NHS ambulance service as a driver since 2003, it seems like more drama entails on each shift than in a soap we might watch on TV!
Patients described from true journal accounts made by Kit previously awaken us to the hard work and terrifying situations they may face, unaware of at first what exactly they've been called out to. A few snippets of information can't explain how the patient is fully at all.
Many accounts involve the police being used as accompanying safety due to severe histories of mental health or abusive behavior. Patients have been known to them over time for various reasons and at times the situations are so shocking to think of being in, a great one for this is giving birth when driving and being in or near to a field in the middle of nowhere!
There's more where that came from but I don't want to spoil the book, you NEED to read it!
Kit is an hilarious man and I would rather have a jokey member of the ambulance crew than an unnerving silent serious one. The situations he's been through to get to where he is now show his dedication to his career now.
This is definitely my type of book and thank the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
Patients described from true journal accounts made by Kit previously awaken us to the hard work and terrifying situations they may face, unaware of at first what exactly they've been called out to. A few snippets of information can't explain how the patient is fully at all.
Many accounts involve the police being used as accompanying safety due to severe histories of mental health or abusive behavior. Patients have been known to them over time for various reasons and at times the situations are so shocking to think of being in, a great one for this is giving birth when driving and being in or near to a field in the middle of nowhere!
There's more where that came from but I don't want to spoil the book, you NEED to read it!
Kit is an hilarious man and I would rather have a jokey member of the ambulance crew than an unnerving silent serious one. The situations he's been through to get to where he is now show his dedication to his career now.
This is definitely my type of book and thank the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
August 15, 2019
This is July's book from the library.
I love Casualty, and my mum was a nurse before she retired, so a book about paramedics seemed right up my street. This was a gallows humour book about the reality of being a paramedic - the funny, stinky, sad, and amazing stories that they encounter day after day. Wharton's book gives edited highlights interspersed with comment on his childhood and his parent's relationship.
The patient stories are good - a mix of sad, shocking, and uplifting in turn, These are why I picked up the book. The personal stories are there as an aid to understanding Wharton, I suppose. He is matter of fact about things, and doesn't glamorise or add humour to these situations, rather he says it as it is, warts and all.
This was an OK book, not brilliant, not rubbish. It gives a good insight to the job of our paramedics, and I think any prospective candidate for the service should definitely read it - after all, it's not all what you see on tv!
I love Casualty, and my mum was a nurse before she retired, so a book about paramedics seemed right up my street. This was a gallows humour book about the reality of being a paramedic - the funny, stinky, sad, and amazing stories that they encounter day after day. Wharton's book gives edited highlights interspersed with comment on his childhood and his parent's relationship.
The patient stories are good - a mix of sad, shocking, and uplifting in turn, These are why I picked up the book. The personal stories are there as an aid to understanding Wharton, I suppose. He is matter of fact about things, and doesn't glamorise or add humour to these situations, rather he says it as it is, warts and all.
This was an OK book, not brilliant, not rubbish. It gives a good insight to the job of our paramedics, and I think any prospective candidate for the service should definitely read it - after all, it's not all what you see on tv!
August 22, 2025
I picked up this audiobook on a audible sale, working in healthcare myself I am always interested in real life experiences.. unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations, the blurb sounded good but none of the stories really wowed me. He fills in spaces between stories with his own experiences growing up in a home with alcoholic parents and subsequently, most of the stories in this memoir are very much based on alcohol. Don’t get me wrong, I love that the brutal truth of alcohol is being zoned in on, because it truly is a dangerous drug, but so many of the stories were just too similar. I also had to speed the audio up to x1.7 to be able to tolerate listening to it.. very interesting premise but just fell a bit flat for me unfortunately.
June 11, 2018
A wonderful account of a life of a paramedic, this book shows you the stories from the funny to the sad. I loved the narrative of this book and I think it could make a wonderful audio.
I really warmed to the writer Kit and thought he had the right amount of humor and didn’t explain anything in such detail that was too technical but also gave enough detail that you felt fully immersed in the story.
I loved the paragraphs giving background to his childhood which explained why he became a paramedic. It felt totally honest and has made me appreciate that line of field even more.
I really warmed to the writer Kit and thought he had the right amount of humor and didn’t explain anything in such detail that was too technical but also gave enough detail that you felt fully immersed in the story.
I loved the paragraphs giving background to his childhood which explained why he became a paramedic. It felt totally honest and has made me appreciate that line of field even more.
January 4, 2020
I have recently discovered a love of medical memoirs and this one was pretty cool. I liked the way it was set out, with each individual story given a couple of pages, so it was very easy to dip in and out of the book. An excellent insight of what it's like to be in the ambulance service, with a hefty dollop of childhood stories to give some background on the author as well. Quite readable, although some more serious things like crashes and violence.
February 27, 2020
It was ok. I listened to it in the car. Not too distracting as not a lot of excitement. It was interesting but perhaps a career I'm glad I didnt persue. To be fair, I've known a few ATs and paramedics, and Kit's experience of the job seems a bit tame by comparison. I maybe missed where he was stationed.
I got a bit bored with his family stories after a while, but felt for some of the people in his tale.
I got a bit bored with his family stories after a while, but felt for some of the people in his tale.
August 17, 2021
I thought this was a below average book. It read like someone severely chided by the job of ambulance driver. I have known for a long time how unprofessional these people can be, but this book just confirmed it. I used to think they deserved a higher rung on the professional medical ladder, but now I understand more why they occupy one of the lowest. Sad tale. Made me hope I never am in an ambulance and taken to Grady Memorial in Atlanta.
December 29, 2025
A short, snappy read. Kit has a good way of blending the traumatic events with humour to make the stories more digestible and light hearted, he does it in a respectful way. There's only one sentence where his descriptive humour just felt like fat shaming as there was no relevance to the story. Nonetheless, he then changed my heart by being incredibly empathetic and humanises what must be such a difficult strain on the health care system and patience of its staff.
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