Channel 4 to go Inside Birmingham Children's Hospital

29 January 2016

 

Parents – they’re in at the deep end from day one, but the biggest test comes when ordinary life is interrupted. These are the stories of a new generation of families facing their greatest fears together.

Channel 4 today announces a new series set in one of the largest and most advanced paediatric units in the world, Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

With unprecedented scale of institutional access, Inside Birmingham Children’s Hospital (w/t) is a brand new series, exploring modern day parenting through just some of the hundreds of thousands of patient visits here. It follows children and their families on their journeys through 34 specialist departments and further afield into their homes across Britain. With intimate, long-form access to households across a vast spectrum of contemporary British society, the series discovers parental hopes and fears that are truly universal.

Using the latest in mobile and fixed camera technology the series takes viewers into the drama of a Children’s Emergency Department, to the bedsides of one of the largest intensive care units in Europe, where fixed rig filming has been allowed for the first time, and through life-changing surgery; all set against conversations round the dinner table at home and the fraught, funny and all too recognisable family car journeys to and from the hospital.

The series also features and hears from more than 50 members of staff ranging from leading surgeons and Emergency consultants to specialised nurses, technicians and clinical child psychologists as they care not just for their patients, but the emotional wellbeing of the whole families they have in tow.

During the series, we’ll follow a number of stories; from life-threatening illnesses and deeply personal psychological challenges to time-honoured childhood bumps and scrapes. These will include: 

• The acute anxiety of parents of a 16 year old who’s facing pioneering brain surgery to change a life dominated by epilepsy
• The courage of a father who donates part of his own liver to his 14 year old son
• The frustration of a mum arguing with her teenage daughter over whether or not she should have a cosmetic eye procedure
• The strength and sensitivity of a father helping his daughter through depression
• As well as a football tackle gone wrong, a finger trapped in a door slammed by a big sister, a micro-scooter mishap, a tumble at a Christening and much more.

Set in the heart of Britain’s second city, the series combines single camera documentary filmmaking with a multi-camera rig set up throughout the hospital to give a 360 degree perspective on the whole hospital, its staff and of course, those that pass through its doors daily.

David Brindley, Commissioning Editor for Documentaries at Channel 4 said, “Inside Birmingham Children’s Hospital will be an uplifting exploration and celebration of what it means to be a parent - and a child - in Britain today. As we join families at moments of high emotion, there will be tears and tantrums, but lots of love and laughter too. The series will be a heart-warming journey into how families function in our country today.”

Jessie Versluys, Executive Producer for Dragonfly commented, “Navigating around an institution of this size with 3,700 staff was a huge undertaking for the team. We spent months in the hospital working out how we should tackle a series of this scale and gained privileged access across every department. We hope the result is that this series is not just about the medical narratives but has, at its heart, universal truths about childhood and being a parent.”

Sarah-Jane Marsh, Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s Chief Executive, said: “It was our absolute pleasure to welcome the film crew into our hospital to tell some of the many courageous and inspirational stories of our children, young people and families, and of course, our dedicated teams who care for them. It's difficult to put your finger on exactly what it is, but there’s something very special about our hospital - it really is a magical place to be.  No two days are ever the same, and to have the opportunity to share some of this magic with viewers across the country is a true privilege and great celebration of our amazing families and teams."

Inside Birmingham Children’s Hospital (w/t) is a Dragonfly production, commissioned by David Brindley, Commissioning Editor for Documentaries at Channel 4 and is executive produced by Jessie Versluys and Emma Loach. The series will air in the Spring.

 

ENDS

 

For press enquiries and interview requests, please contact:
Lesley Land, Channel 4 Press Office

For pictures, please contact:
Jamie Fry, Channel 4 Press Office

 

Notes to Editors:

 

About Dragonfly

Producing award-winning factual and specialist factual television Dragonfly are part of Endemol Shine Group. Recent titles include Hedgehog Honeymoon Hotel (ITV), Cleopatra’s Lost Tomb (Channel 4), The Hotel (C4), One Born Every Minute (C4) and The Burrowers (BBC2).

 

About Birmingham Children’s Hospital

Birmingham Children’s Hospital is a leading UK specialist paediatric centre, offering expert care to 90,000 children and young people from across the country every year. Providing the highest quality treatment and care to young patients, supporting their loved ones and advancing medical innovation has been has been the driving force behind the hospital since first opening its doors in 1862.

Today, the award-winning, world-renowned hospital has a 3,700-strong team with a reputation for excellence in many life-changing specialist services, including the treatment of the most complex heart conditions, chronic liver and kidney disease, cancer, serious burns, epilepsy, neurology and cystic fibrosis. It’s also home to Europe’s largest single site paediatric intensive care unit, a 24-hour accident and emergency service, regional major trauma centre and revolutionary new mental health service for 0-25 year olds.