A new six-part OU/BBC co-production from the ‘Saving Lives’ series begins on 20 August at 9pm on BBC Two and BBC One Wales.
Against the backdrop of rising waiting lists and overstretched staff, Saving Lives in Cardiff follows the clinicians who face the daily dilemma of deciding who gets treated first and the impact these decisions have on the lives of patients, their families and the staff who care for them.
With unique access behind the scenes at the Cardiff and Vale University Hospitals and in-depth interviews from those on the front line, we witness the full scale of clinicians’ caseloads and the very personal and compelling human stories at the centre of it all.
Felicity Astin, Professor of Nursing and Dr Linda Walker, Lecturer in Nursing, who were the academic consultants on the series, said:
“Saving Lives in Wales shows the ‘real deal’ of the challenges that surgeons and their teams face every day. Viewers will see how they decide which patients on their waiting list get access to life-changing treatment and those that do not and we follow patient journeys as they undergo awe-inspiring surgery using cutting-edge technology.
“The series gives the viewer an opportunity to see first-hand the stresses and strains that surgeons face and the bravery of patients and their families.”
The first episode follows vascular surgeon Lewis Meecham as he is pushed to the limits by another wave of emergency cases.
This series was commissioned by Broadcast and Partnerships and is supported by the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies with particular relevance to:
R39 | BSc (Honours) Nursing | Open University
R26 | BA (Hons) Health and Social Care | Open University
Q96 | BSc (Hons) Healthcare and Health Science (open.ac.uk)
- Commissioned by Dr Caroline Ogilvie, Director, Broadcast and Partnerships
- Academic Consultant/s: Felicity Astin and Dr Linda Walker
- Media Fellow/s: Erica Borgstrom
- Broadcast Project Manager: Poppy Ross
- Supporting Online Content: Steff Easom
Supporting Online content:
Visit our Broadcast website OU Connect where you can find where you can find an interactive that puts the you, the user, in the shoes of a busy NHS doctor, in charge of a virtual waiting room of patients.
(NB: this site may not be live or complete prior to broadcast)
