BBC Two Hospital series 2
The second series of Hospital, a four part series, again followed staff and patients at the Trust’s five hospitals to illustrate the achievements and challenges facing the NHS.
We gave BBC Two unprecedented access to our five hospitals and the key decision makers within them, as they make life changing decisions and work to transform and improve services for the future.
The second series, a four part series, again followed staff and patients at the Trust’s five hospitals to illustrate the achievements and challenges facing the NHS.
Hospital 2 – episode one
Episode one shows the Trust’s response to the Westminster Bridge terrorist attack on 22 March 2017. St Mary’s Hospital, one of London’s four major trauma centres, received eight casualties from the incident.
Among the first patients brought to A&E are two French students, Yann and Victor, and British day-tripper Stephen. Yann has received serious head injuries and needs an urgent operation, while Victor has a collapsed lung and multiple fractures. Stephen has a serious injury to his leg which he might lose if it is not operated on immediately. Both Stephen and Yann go straight to theatre.
In the days that follow, all three patients continue to receive treatment on the intensive care and major trauma wards. They and their families reflect on what has happened to them and look to the future as their conditions improve.
View a clip from episode one
Hospital 2 - episode two
Episode two features three patients as they receive treatment for cancer using a mix of NHS and private health.
Glendon from Preston has an aggressive brain tumour and has identified an immunotherapy drug being trailed for his type of cancer. He wants to self-fund a course of the drug at a cost of up to £30,000 per round.
Nicky from Devon has ovarian cancer which has spread. Both the surgery and current chemotherapy that Nicky receives is on the NHS however she also wants to take a drug that is currently only funded by the NHS following three courses of chemotherapy and she’s just about to start her second. Nicky decides to crowdfund the £60,000 needed to buy the drug privately.
Mary, an 87-year-old woman from London, is having surgery to remove a suspicious lump on her lung. She decides to have her scans and tests with the NHS but uses her private health insurance to have her surgery.
The episode highlights the financial and ethical challenges the NHS faces in treating patients with expensive or unproven drugs to try to prolong their lives. It also provides an insight into the Trust’s private healthcare division.
Episode two: frequently asked questions
Hospital 2 - episode three
Episode three focuses on three patients to explore how acute hospitals work with mental health and social care partners in often complex and challenging circumstances to provide support to those in crisis.
St Mary's has one of its longest ever A&E waiting times when a woman with serious mental health issues has to wait 29 hours for a psychiatric bed. All staff can do is keep her safe while the liaison psychiatry team try to find the specialist care she needs.
Carl's dementia has dramatically worsened and his family take him to A&E after he becomes aggressive at home. Patricia, his wife of 25 years, looks after him without the help of carers, but is reaching breaking point.
Stanley, who also has dementia, has had four admissions to St Mary's in the last six months; this time, he was found wandering semi-naked by police and brought to A&E. Stanley doesn’t need acute medical care but he isn’t coping at home. His family want to find him a nursing home place but it won't be easy as not every nursing home will feel they can manage Stanley's demanding behaviour.
Episode three- frequently asked questions
Hospital 2 - episode four
With access to two key specialities, cardiology and neurosurgery, this episode explores how staff are pushing the boundaries of what is possible technologically, at a time when the Trust has a planned annual deficit of £41 million and savings need to be made across the board.
Eddie, a 56-year-old city worker suffering a severe heart attack is treated in one of the cath labs. Eddie's doctor, consultant cardiologist Iqbal Malik comments: "I'm very clear that today he was dead if he hadn't ended up with us and had gone to a smaller hospital where they didn't have a cath lab."
Twenty-three-year-old primary school teacher Rosa has an infection on her mitral valve called endocarditis. Rosa is is an extremely complex case, as some infected tissue from her heart has broken off causing strokes in her brain.
Meanwhile, at Charing Cross Hospital, site of the Trust's specialist neurosurgery department, 28-year-old former dancer Ben needs an operation to remove a recurrent brain tumour.
You can also find out more about the series by:
- reading our latest press releases
- following us on Twitter (@imperialNHS) and following the hashtag #Hospital
- liking us on Facebook
What do you think?
If you have any thoughts or would simply like to submit feedback after watching the documentary you can send us an email: imperial.web@nhs.net
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