BBC cameras follow NHS staff dealing with everything from stabbings to car crashes
The new series follows teams working on the frontlines of emergency care(Image: BBC)
A new BBC series shows the stark realities of working in NHS emergency care.
The six-part docuseries comes from the makers of revered true crime show Murder 24/7, and follows a very similar format. However, rather than showing real-time investigations into crimes, it instead centres around staff dealing with a host of emergency cases at Southmead Hospital in Bristol.
From stabbings and third-degree burns through to car crashes, the talented teams within the emergency department are shown handling each case from the patient’s arrival through to diagnosis and treatment.
The season debut opened with the devastating case of two friends, Luke and Kieran, who were involved in a motorbike crash, leaving both with severe injuries. As the teams treat the pair, they fear irreversible damage to Luke’s nerves which could leave him unable to walk.
Viewers will have to tune in to episode one, now streaming on BBC iPlayer, to discover how the duo’s story played out. Meanwhile subsequent episodes of Emergency 24/7 air every Tuesday at 9pm on BBC Two.
Luke recently appeared on BBC Radio Bristol to discuss his story, sharing: “I don’t remember the actual accident itself.
“I remember picking my friend up and just going out for a ride on the bike.
“He was on the back, I was driving, and then the next thing I knew, I blinked, and about five or six days had gone by, and I was in Bristol ICU.”
Reactions to the new series have been positive so far, with one viewer writing: “I enjoyed it. Really rammed home how busy they are. Also highlighted the rubbish they have to deal with.”
A second shared: “It’s really well done, set over the time period of one shift and follows a couple of patients closely and then you get an update at the end with how they’re doing.
“They also give a good explanation of why hospitals do things like corridor care, what’s being shown on the scan, how the team works when there’s a major trauma, the impact abusive patients can have on the department as a whole by removing staff from other areas to deal with them etc.”
Meanwhile others reported being left in “awe” at the work of the teams featured. A third viewer show fan shared: “Watching #emergency 24/7 #emergency24 on BBC2. I’m in awe of the surgeon putting that spine back together, and all the staff in A and E.”
Emergency 24/7 airs weekly on Tuesdays at 9pm on BBC Two. Episodes are available to stream via BBC iPlayer after broadcast.