Casualty 24/7

Following the work of medical emergency teams in the A&E department of Barnsley Hospital.

Eight new junior doctors start their first shifts on what is forecast to be one of the hottest days on record at Barnsley Hospital, and Sister Vicky is co-ordinating in the heat and keeping a close eye on the new medics. Tom Fish's first patient is 18-year-old Lewis, who has broken bones and deep wounds from a moped accident - but causing him the most pain is his fear of needles.

A fire alarm goes off and Sister Benita must prepare the entire department - staff and emergency patients - for a full evacuation, while paramedics rush in 32-year-old Owen after his car was involved in a head-on collision with a 20-tonbin lorry. A woman needs an emergency operation to remove a blood clot and a man's 87-year streak of not needing hospital care ends.

The casualty department is at a standstill at Barnsley Hospital. with Sister Harriet and consultant doctor Julian Humphrey having to prioritise those who need the most urgent help. Terry has fallen off a roof and is unable to move his arm from a position above his head, while also needing immediate assessment is Jeff, who is brought in by ambulance after his car flipped onto its side.

A high number of call-outs for ambulances has resulted in paramedics queuing with patients in the corridor at Barnsley Hospital's A&E department, so the team must decide who is seen at once and who can wait. Priority is being given to two patients fighting for breath, with junior doctor Emma Faragher treating 72-year-old Lynda and Dr Chris Lamare attending to two-year-old Seb.

Lead nurse Hannah faces an extra challenge running Barnsley A&E when there is a shortage of the porters who keep patients moving through the department and free up bays and cubicles for the new emergency cases. Consultant Julian Humphrey looks after a 76-year-old woman who has broken her nose after a nasty fall, but the doctor fears bleeding on the brain could have much more serious long-term consequences.

Junior doctor Tariq Khan urgently assesses a man who has arrived with a 13cm-long laceration on his thigh from a DIY accident with an angle grinder. Registrar Chris Carson treats a man found with head injuries at the bottom of a flight of stairs, and a four-year-old who's been brought in with severe sickness.

Cold winter weather causes a spike in admissions at Barnsley Hospital, with one woman rushed in after being found collapsed outside her home and at risk of hypothermic shock as her core temperature is just 36C. Student nurses Greg and Molly have been fast-tracked to start their placements early and join the children's casualty team, and both deal with patients with head injuries.

A new system is introduced at Barnsley casualty, with Sister Benita taking on the role of team leader for the first time, and a new `Wobble Room" opening. Advance nurse practitioner Dave is treating 40-year-old Nicola, who's been in a serious road traffic accident, while registrar doctor Sarah Foster is concerned that four-year-old Reggie may have a head injury after a fall from a Segway.

The casualty department is full due to the extremely high number of patients and the waiting time to see a doctor has doubled, but ambulances are still bringing in critically ill people. In Resus, a teenager is in extreme pain following a sports injury, the type of which registrar Gemma Hartshorne has never seen before.