A CRITICALLY acclaimed documentary following the staff and patients of West Midlands Ambulance Service has picked up a Bafta.

Ambulance, which filmed many of its scenes at incidents across Dudley borough, as well as at the service’s Brierley Hill HQ, won Best Factual Series at the star studded ceremony in London on Sunday night.

Paramedic Katie Cartwright, who featured in the very first story of the first episode when she helped to save the life of a cardiac arrest patient, was at the event, along with Rich Phillips – a controller in the Emergency Operations Centre at Brierley Hill – and Claire Brown from the trust’s press office, which co-ordinates the filming from a trust perspective.

Staff said they were surprised but delighted to claim the award ahead of the other nominees – Catching a Killer, Drugsland and Hospital.

Kirsty Cunningham, executive producer at Dragonfly Television, which makes the series, said: “We couldn’t have made it without patients and their families, who we satellited into their lives at unknown times, allowing us to tell their stories.

“But really, this series goes to the heroes in green. It was our privilege to be able to capture the way they work with such compassion and care. It’s our love song to the NHS this series.”

Rich added: “I’d like to say a very big thank you to the whole service and Dragonfly. It’s fantastic getting a BAFTA. Wow, we just work in a control room and on ambulances, so thanks very much.”

While Katie said: “On behalf of West Midlands Ambulance Service, we’d like to thank Dragonfly for portraying the ambulance service for what it really is.

“We’ve had an amazing time and can’t believe that we’ve won; we’re so excited.”

The trust’s chief executive, Anthony Marsh, said the award is a “fantastic achievement”, not just for those who featured in the programmes but “for all of our staff”.

He added: “What this programme shows is just how much effort our staff put into the job, wherever they work in the organisation.”

And Claire said: “The programmes show just how amazing our staff are. Although the programmes can’t show everyone that works for us, whether on an ambulance, in a control room or in the many roles behind the scenes, it has given the public a real insight into what the ambulance service is really like.

“Thank you also to the hundreds of staff who have helped make the programmes possible.”