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Episode 1 of 6

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.

Hospital returns for a sixth series to London’s Royal Free Trust, a world-leader in the treatment of infectious diseases and one of the biggest NHS trusts in the country.

The first episode explores the impact on patients from the NHS having to prioritise their response to the national pandemic above almost everything else. During the pandemic, most of the Trust’s work in their three hospitals was completely halted in order to allow it to cope with nearly 2,000 patients with Covid-19.

It’s now August, and the Royal Free London must enforce strict new Covid protocols, including social distancing, Covid testing and Covid-secure ‘pathways’ for patients who enter the hospital. Although there are mounting waiting lists, the new restrictions mean the hospital’s activity is down by 50%, causing huge waits for diagnosis and treatment despite NHS staff’s tireless efforts.

Follow the human stories behind the headlines of staff and patients as they grapple with the extraordinary challenge of operating within the new Covid-19 landscape.

59 minutes

Last on

Wed 11 Nov 2020 23:30

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Credits

Role Contributor
Executive Producer Jackie Waldock
Executive Producer Simon Dickson
Executive Producer Lorraine Charker-Phillips
Series Producer Emma Whitehead
Series Editor Mark Rossiter

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Interviews with staff at the Royal Free hospital.