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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Alexandra Rucki

'He got his final wish': Viewers react to heartbreaking BBC Ambulance episode showing elderly man who turned down medical treatment

Viewers have praised paramedics for the kindness they showed to an elderly man who turned down medical treatment because he wanted to die at home.

Last night's episode of BBC Ambulance showed Arthur, 86, asking to remain at home instead of being taken to hospital.

The pensioner said he wanted to live out the rest of his life in a care home and the 999 responders arranged palliative care for him instead.

Viewers of the programme shared their praise and admiration for paramedic Gary, who also revealed he was able to empathise with the family because his late wife declined more treatment when she was terminally ill.

Sharon-Marie Millet wrote on Facebook: "Awww made me cry bless him he got his final wish."

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Janet Wyatt posted: " This made me cry and reminded me of what I have just gone through with my own father. Such bitter sweet memories."

Joyce Bowett said: "Thoroughly enjoyed seeing the amazing work our paramedics and ambulance people do and their love kindness and support to all the patients.

"Thank you for doing such a wonderful job. Many sad moments but very informative, hope we have another series of the programme."

Call handlers were clearly frustrated that someone had carried out a hoax (BBC)

Tanya Davis-Walkden commented: "This programme is amazing, it was very sad, but good to see the individual and family had there wishes followed through."

The programme also showed the shocking moment ambulance service call handlers spoke to a caller claiming to be a child whose grandfather was stabbed to death.

It prompted a huge emergency response, including an advanced paramedic, two air ambulances, one ambulance and an incident commander, who all scrambled to the scene.

However, they discovered all was not what it seemed.

The air ambulance is stood down after the call is found to be a hoax (BBC)

Instead they found a family shocked at the emergency response and it turned out to have been a hoax call.

Viewers also shared their frustration at the disruption hoax calls cause to emergency responders.

Janice Hibbert wrote: "Still fuming at the hoax call, helicopter ambulance and police called out."

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Katie Hannah tweeted: "If you make a hoax call to the emergency services you should be fined because that resource could have genuinely saved a life elsewhere."

Another Twitter user wrote: "That child needs punishing, all hoaxes do. What a waste of already stretched resources."

The latest episode of the BAFTA award-winning documentary also saw crews tackle a number of genuine emergencies during last year's bank holiday weekend.

Over the period, they took more than 18,000 calls.

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