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Episode 1

At Wales鈥檚 biggest hospital, neurosurgeon George Eralil operates on a 19-year-old with a rare brain tumour, and vascular consultant Lewis Meecham faces a wave of emergency cases.

Following surgeons as they save and change lives in Wales鈥檚 largest hospital in Cardiff, University Hospital of Wales. Here, world-leading clinicians and their teams perform incredible operations every day. But they鈥檙e doing so against the backdrop of the longest waiting times in history. This is a look at how surgeons make the difficult decisions of who gets treated next.

In the neurosurgery department, almost 200 people are waiting for complex, life-saving surgery. Consultant George Eralil prioritises 19-year-old Chelsea, who has an extremely rare brain tumour. Her operation has been cancelled once already, and with news that the tumour is growing, it must be removed now.

In the vascular department, which treats life- and limb-threatening conditions caused by diseased blood vessels, vascular surgeon Lewis Meecham arrives early on a Monday morning, ready for a full day of planned operations. But emergencies have flooded in over the weekend, forcing the team to cancel all but one of his elective surgeries.

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58 minutes

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Last on

Fri 30 Aug 2024 02:15

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Credits

Role Contributor
Narrator Rakie Ayola
Director Luke Pavey
Producer Lucy Rogers
Producer Rochelle Jones
Production Manager Megan Pinches
Series Producer Sophia Thompson
Executive Producer Gaynor Davies
Executive Producer Jackie Waldock
Production Company Label1 Television Ltd

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