1 - Episode 1
The UK lockdown is over, but London’s Royal Free Hospital is counting the cost of having to prioritise Covid-19 above almost everything else as they battle to treat the patients left behind.
The story of the NHS in unprecedented Covid times.
The UK lockdown is over, but London’s Royal Free Hospital is counting the cost of having to prioritise Covid-19 above almost everything else as they battle to treat the patients left behind.
This episode follows the Royal Free London NHS Hospital Foundation Trust as it faces the long-lasting effects of Covid on both patients and their services, amidst the looming threat of a second wave.
A look at the impact of Covid-19 on the Royal Free Hospital's transplant services, which treat some of the hospital's most vulnerable patients. It normally performs around 140 transplants a year in each discipline.
A bed shortage in Barnet hospital highlights the perpetual challenge of trying to discharge older patients, alongside the added complexities of Covid-19 infection risks.
While Covid patients are again being transferred to intensive care, the clinicians now have a wider array of treatments used to fight the virus, including experimental drugs and convalescent plasma.
As Covid-19 levels rise again, the Royal Free London prepares to roll out a mass vaccination programme, but it faces a staffing crisis that in turn threatens vital cancer operations.