New episode of 24 Hours in A&E: Safety Net
The RTS award-winning documentary series returns for a twenty third series following patients treated in the same 24-hour period at St George’s in south west London. The hospital has one of the busiest A&E departments in Britain – a place where stories of life, love and loss unfold every day.
This episode follows the stories of three people whose families have offered them support despite challenging circumstances.
21 year old Kirsty is rushed to St George’s with a suspected stoke. Consultant Manny explains in interview how concerning it is to have a suspected stroke in a young patient. As the team work to establish if Kirsty has had a stroke we hear from her father Nigel about her upbringing and how it became clear she had some developmental difficulties. Nigel explains how these challenges were not always greeted positively by the wider world but only served to strengthen the bonds within the family.
36 year old Jamie is rushed to St George’s having been thrown from his motorbike. Doctors are concerned his severe leg break may leave him with permanent damage. As the team scan and realign Jamie’s leg we hear in interview first from his mum Lorna, then his wife Kim about how he struggled to express himself in his youth and his concern that he would not be a good father.
Meanwhile 47 year old Dennis is in Urgent Care being treated for a cut on his finger sustained fitting carpet. As Emergency Care Practitioner Alison cleans and assesses his wound Dennis tells us in interview of the special bond he had with his mother and how she enabled him to grow into the man he has become.