With one in four adults and one in ten children experiencing mental illness, there is an urgent need in the ambulance sector to understand and be able to treat mental health-related medical emergencies. South Central Ambulance Service approached Nice Media for support to produce a bespoke video drama. The aim of the project was to provide ambulance service staff with a greater level of awareness of mental health issues and how best to respond to those experiencing a crisis.
With one in four adults and one in ten children experiencing mental illness, there is an urgent need in the ambulance sector to understand and be able to treat mental health-related medical emergencies. South Central Ambulance Service approached Nice Media for support to produce a bespoke video drama that would successfully portray a mental health crisis and the response by an ambulance service team. The aim of the project was to provide ambulance service staff with a greater level of awareness of mental health issues and how best to respond to those experiencing a crisis.
The primary purpose of the video drama series was to be used to enhance the effectiveness of the National Mental Health Induction training provision. A dramatic video series was identified as an effective way to bring the experiences of patients to the audience in a sensitive manner. The series was scripted to contain key story beats and moments of conflict that would inspire conversation and group learning. The characters in a fictional drama are a step removed from reality which creates a safe distance for participants to talk critically and constructively about the quality of practice. Nice Media consulted closely with SME’s from SCAS and NWAS who were able to bring their many years of combined real experience to the writing process, which provided the raw material required to create authentic characters and stories. The story was designed to not give complete answers, but rather to highlight some ‘grey areas’ that raise the question ‘what would I do in that situation?’.
The video drama series consists of four episodes. These assets have multi-purpose usage – they can be used for in-person training sessions, for virtual sessions, or for independent watching. The series will eventually be uploaded to YouTube so that they can be accessed for free by as many healthcare professionals as possible who want to understand more about mental health. The intention is to incorporate these videos in the sessions which will be used nationally by all ambulance services from late 2022. It is projected that the series will reach more than 50,000 Ambulance staff, across a number of Trusts. This includes more than 22,000 (plus) paramedics.
“Throughout the process, Nice were very interested in getting our input and perspective on what it was we were trying to achieve with the Drama. They listened to our ideas and shared positive suggestions to ensure the videos were realistic and accurate with high production values. Working with Nice was a great learning curve. The professionalism of the cast and crew helped make the story come alive and the result exceeded our expectations.”
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