After four years at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH), 24 hours in A&E is returning to London to film its next series.
The award-winning programme came to Queen’s Medical Centre’s (QMC) Emergency Department in 2021, filming five series and more than 50 episodes, with it being a firm favourite on Channel 4.
From talking parrots, to angle grinder injuries and severed fingers in bags of frozen peas, the QMC series had it all. Behind each story there were touching conversations between patients and their families, and tearjerking moments from NUH staff.
NUH Consultant Trauma Surgeon JJ Reilly appeared in the show, opening up about his experience of finding out his brother had a brain tumour and how this was the driver that motivated him into a career in medicine. JJ said: “It was a pleasure to be involved in 24 hours in A&E. It really shines a light on the amazing work we do at NUH, the very human side of the people in our care and the people providing that care too.
“On a personal level, I am very grateful for the opportunity to tell the world about my brother, and the massive influence he had on my life and career. They did such a good job in telling his story and that of Jeremy [a patient] as well.’
Consultant JJ was one of many staff members at NUH who were part of the series, sharing their expertise and personal stories from Nottingham.
Manjeet Shemar, Medical Director at NUH, said: “We are so proud to have been the home to 24 hours in A&E for so long, bringing the show into the heart of our Nottingham community and sharing the incredible stories of our staff and patients.
“The series gives the public the chance to see what it is like working in a busy emergency department like QMC, the complexities of it and the kind of things that staff see and work on day in and day out. It really is quite remarkable. I am so thankful that the series came to QMC, and even more so to those colleagues who were involved.
“We’re excited for our colleagues over at St George’s to have the series return to them, and hope that the series will make a return to QMC one day in the future too.”
Gabe Jones, Clinical Director and Consultant for Emergency Medicine and Major Trauma at St George’s, said: “I’m excited to show viewers our brilliant Emergency Department, which continues to deliver excellent care in the most challenging circumstances.
“I’m proud of my exceptional colleagues for the life-saving work they will continue to do long after the cameras have stopped rolling, and am grateful to our patients for allowing us to document their most vulnerable moments. We thank the staff at Queen Medical Centre in Nottingham for showing the NHS at its best, and are very pleased to welcome the series back to St George’s.”
Rita Daniels, Commissioning Editor at Channel 4 said: “We’re grateful to Nottingham University Hospitals for the powerful and moving stories we’ve been privileged to film during our time there and the compassion and resilience shown by staff and patients alike has made a lasting impact on the series. As 24 Hours in A&E returns to St George’s Hospital in London—at the heart of the UK’s most populated city—we look forward to continuing to tell the extraordinary stories that unfold every day in our NHS.”
The Trust hasn’t said goodbye just yet, as a number of episodes are still to air, where viewers can see the NUH team in action again. Saving lives and watching the stories of life, love and loss unfold every single day.
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