London's network of frontline trauma hospitals treats critically injured patients across the capital in this ground-breaking series on Channel 4
Monday: Emergency (Channel 4, 9pm)
In the UK’s capital, a world’s-first system of hospitals, air ambulances and paramedics provides a safety net for upwards of 10 million lives. It’s a service most hope never to have to use, but for those who do need it, the London Major Trauma System has improved survival rates for patients by 50 per cent.
Emergency is Channel 4’s blue-light documentary series following the work of this system as it saves lives throughout London.
Now back for a third series, cameras follow a 38-year-old paratrooper as he arrives at the Royal London after a paragliding accident in France.
He has lost sensation in his legs and needs specialist high-risk surgery to fix his compacted spine and pelvis if he’s to have a chance of walking again.
But matters are even more complicated than that.
Lance Corporal Lee, who was on holiday when he suffered these life-threatening injuries, has had surgery to fix his dissected aorta – the main blood vessel that comes from the heart – and French surgeons inserted metalwork to keep his shattered spine together until he could return home.
Emergency Medicine Consultant Michael is concerned that Lee may have damaged his spinal cord, as he has lost sensation in his legs.
Lee’s wife Katy is with him, and brings their kids in to see their dad. “The kids think of their dad as a real-life superhero,” Katy says. “I haven’t told them their dad might not walk again.”
Meanwhile, 15-year-old Louie is at St Mary’s after putting his leg through a glass security door following a disagreement at school.
Paediatric Consultant Nick is worried that he has an arterial bleed and calls down vascular surgeons.
Paramedics have applied a tourniquet to stem the bleeding from Louie’s leg, but if Nick leaves it on for too long, the tissue will start to die which could result in amputation.
In CT, Nick removes the tourniquet and immediately notices an arterial bleed – so declares Louie a ‘Code Red’ and rushes him in to surgery.
Vascular Surgeon Usman, who is operating on Louie, is concerned. “From the volume of blood loss, his life is at risk,” he says.
Louie’s poor mum is understandably bereft.
Also at St Mary’s is 33-year-old accountant, Jeymi, who has suffered serious injuries as a back-seat passenger in a taxi that crashed into a lamp post.
Advanced Paramedic Practitioner Rich, who attended Jeymi’s accident on the night shift, diagnosed a femur fracture – but was more worried about the possibility of other, internal injuries.
Jeymi’s husband, William, explains that she was on her way to meet him for his birthday drinks.
It is sobering to realise how any day, whether mundane or celebratory, can in an instant take a turn for the tragic – but it is reassuring that we have such dedicated medical professionals providing expert care should the worst happen.