Channel 4 announces Confessions of a Junior Doctor

20 February 2017

 

There are over 60 000 junior doctors working in our NHS hospitals.  As young as twenty-three they are on the frontline of hospital care, from the resuscitation rooms of A&E to the operating theatres of surgery.  Committed, passionate and highly trained these young doctors are the future of our health service, but they are working in an NHS that’s facing record patient numbers.  Ever more is being asked of our juniors as hospitals become increasingly stretched.   In 2016, this came to a head as junior doctors went on strike against a new contract imposed by the government.

Filmed over four months in one general hospital, this series follows the lives of young doctors trying to cope with the pressures of the profession at a critical time for our health service.

Northampton General Hospital could be any hospital in Britain.  Hard-working staff serve a local population that is increasing, but the hospital has little money for more beds or more doctors.  The 210 junior doctors working here range from first year recruits – fresh out of medical school – to senior registrars on the cusp of becoming consultants.  All of them are trying to give the best possible care and balance work with the rest of their lives.  Northampton opened its doors to the film crews to show how the hospital – and the juniors they support – are working against the odds to do the best job they can.

Episode 1 follows the first two months of the hospital’s year as new graduates begin working in hospital for the first time. Episode 2 focuses on A&E, where two junior doctors are dealing with the onset of winter and a surge in admissions. Episode 3 explores paediatrics, with young doctors having to handle worried parents and acutely sick children.  And Episode 4 enters the competitive world of surgery, where doctors have to endure a long and rigorous training programme.

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Amy Flanagan, Commissioning Editor says: “Channel 4 documentaries have a proud tradition of revealing intimate insights into modern life and major social institutions from hospital wards to school classrooms. At a time when Junior Doctors and the state of the NHS have found themselves at the head of the news agenda we have been given privileged access to go beyond the headlines and explore the reality of the day to day functioning of a major hospital and see the reality of life on the ward. This series is timely and raises important issues about the state of our health servies.”

Will Lorimer, Series Director says: It was staggering to see how hard these doctors work and the pressure they are under.  Everybody knows the NHS is stretched, but these doctors are the ones right there at the coal face.  This series is very timely because these young people are the consultants of tomorrow – what happens to them will affect all of us.”

Grace Reynolds, Executive Producer says: "Junior doctors have been in the headlines a great deal over the past year but this has come with much confusion and with little understanding of the real life stories behind these headlines. What is the day to day life of a junior doctor like? And what are the debates surrounding their job founded in? We are very grateful to Northampton General Hospital for giving us the opportunity to tell their crucially important stories at a time when there is so much concern about the state of the NHS."

Credits:
Series Director Will Lorimer
Series Producer Clare Cameron
Producer/Director Will Jessop
Series AP Charlie Ferriday
Production Managers Siobhan Brook and Louise Ryan
Executive Producers David Clews and Grace Reynolds