999 My Life on the Frontline of the ambulance service by Dan Farnworth

999 - My Life on the Frontline of the Ambulance Service by Dan Farnworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 304

Publisher - Simon and Schuster

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Dan Farnworth brings vividly to life his astonishing experiences as a medic working on the frontline of the UK Ambulance Service. When the 999 call goes out, he has little idea what he will find - and how he will cope with the challenges he faces when he gets there.

Having worked in the emergency services for more than fifteen years, Dan Farnworth has seen it all. There was the time he was called to take away a dead body - only for the 'corpse' to jolt back into life and demand to know what he was doing in her house. Earlier in his career, he unwittingly disturbed a crime scene as he shared the sad news of the victim's death with her son. Along with the 18,000 other paramedics in the UK who serve us day and night, Dan constantly finds himself pushed into extraordinary circumstances where he not only has to deal with those he has been sent to help, but also their worried families and friends - and even with irate drivers who object to his ambulance getting in their way as he desperately works to save someone's life.



My Review

I always think Joe Public should read these kind of true stories type books, have a bit of appreciation for the service and what the workers go through. This is Dan's story or rather stories, a paramedic who takes us through his career from starting out, during, to present day.

Emotive, shocking, horrific, sad. Farnworth takes us on a few of the callouts he has attended, some heartbreaking and how it impacted on him. How the job takes a toll on his personal life, his mental health and what he did as a result of that.

I would say this book has a more personal look, the actual affects on Farnworth himself, his personal life and a fair bit about him. Some of these books focus purely on the job and things they encounter, this has a bit more laid bare approach and a lot about the author himself. 4/5 for me this time, I do like reading true stories about other professionals, makes you appreciative to the services out there and the people who keep them going.



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The Prison Doctor Women Inside by Doctor Amanda Brown

The Prison Doctor: Women Inside: Stories from my time inside Britain’s biggest women’s prison. by Amanda Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 288

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

From the Sunday Times bestselling author Dr Amanda Brown.

Insights into the world of a Prison Doctor, this time taking us deeper into the walls of Bronzefield, the UK’s biggest women’s prison.

From the drug addicts who call Amanda ‘the mother I never had’ to the women who’ve pushed back at domestic abuse, to women close to release in their 70s, who just want to stay in the place that they’ve always known, these are stories that are heartbreaking, harrowing and heart-warming. Amanda listens, prescribes, and does what she can. After all, she’s their doctor.


My Review

This is the second book by Doctor Brown, you don't need to have read the first to read this one. Doc Brown recounts some of the situations she has encountered in her time working in the prisons and many of the people she has treated or came across.

I think it is so easy to judge folk, people in prison, people with habits - often a combination of both. I think what this does is helps you get past potential prejudices, realise in many cases it really is before the grace of God go I. We get brief glimpses of some of the women she has met, treated and been affected by. A stark realisation of what prison life can be like for these poor woman.

After reading this I started looking into donations for women's prisons charities and hopefully once you read this book you may be a bit more understanding or less judgmental of people (not just women) behind bars. A look at the medical issues these women present with, the difference between care readily available at the call of a cab or your gp. If you haven't read the first book it is really interesting so please check it out. I hope she writes more about her experiences, I think these books are so important for your "average joe". In a world where we need more understanding and kindness, I think these books give a bit of insight into other peoples hardships. 4.5/5 for me this time - recommend for sure and like I say I hope she writes more.

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