‘Doing your best

ambulance crews undergo extensive training in order to deal with incidents of all scales.

Nothing, however, could prepare even the most experienced medic for the harrowing terror attacks in the UK this year — with terrorism among the many new challenges that crews now face.

Dundee-based team leader Susan McLeod has seen her role evolve since joining the Scottish Ambulance Service in 1993.

The 46-year-old said: “I was devastated for my colleagues involved in those terrorist incidents.

“It makes you even more aware about what we do.

“I’ve seen the job change so much in 25 years. For example, we see a lot more people with mental health issues. We’re limited to what we can do but we can help steer them in the right direction.

“What we do is so vast. I remember there was a time where I had to attend three cardiac arrests back to back.

“People don’t see the day-to-day job. They see the car crashes but we can attend GP jobs, people with drug problems, minor injuries. There’s so much involved in what we do.”

Lynsey added: “Communication is always a major challenge.

“It’s a massive part of our job all round, not just with patients. It’s so simple but so important and can make such a huge difference.”

Every call-out brings a new experience, some of which can be traumatic.

But saving lives and helping in any

Lynsey Raitt (right) and Susan McLeod treat a patient in their roles as paramedics which sees them face a raft