Critical Condition

Following the work of medical staff at Stoke's Royal University Hospital as they work to save the lives of sick and injured patients.

A 22-year-old arrives at the emergency department after crashing his motorbike at speed, and medical staff fear he may have suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury. Elsewhere, 60-year-old Nigel is preparing for an emergency operation to have a huge tumour removed from his stomach, and 80-year-old Alun is treated after suffering a traumatic accident at home.

When Duncan is admitted to Royal Stoke emergency department after falling down a full flight of stairs onto concrete, trauma team leader Richard Hall fears the worst. Elsewhere, a woman with a life-threatening brain tumour undergoes surgery to have it carefully removed, and a 21-year-old is treated after falling from a window and landing on metal railings.

When Rachel is admitted to the emergency department after a head-on collision with another car, trauma team leader Anthony Taylor fears the worst. Trapped inside her vehicle for over an hour, Rachel's condition is now critical. Anthony and his team know that time is of the essence. But before they can get her to a much-needed scan to assess the extent of her broken bones, her breathing deteriorates and it's a race against time to stabilise her and save her life. Across the hospital, Sally has been rushed in for emergency surgery. During a routine mammogram, it was discovered that Sally not only had breast cancer, but also an aortic aneurism. Already at twice its normal size, Sally's aorta is in grave danger of rupturing — which could prove life-threatening. Now Mr Warwick and his surgical team must navigate the risk of stroke and organ failure to perform complex open-heart surgery to give her the best chance of survival so she can begin her cancer treatment. Back in the emergency department, Shaun arrives as an emergency transfer from another hospital, after scans revealed multiple broken bones following an accident on his electric mountain bike. However, after examining Shaun, trauma team leader Richard Hall fears that he has yet more lifechanging injuries — potentially to his spine. The race is on to get him to an operating theatre quickly and safely. Finally, trauma team leader Diane Adamson treats Geoffrey, an 88-year-old farmer who has been attacked by one of his cows. Knowing a farmer's capacity for pain, she's on high alert. So when Geoffrey starts complaining of chest pain, Diane knows she will have to act fast before his condition deteriorates further.

This week, motorcyclist Danny is rushed into the emergency department following a highspeed road traffic accident in north Wales. He's already had two chest drains inserted into his lungs at scene to save his life, but what immediately concerns trauma team leader Diane Adamson is his blood pressure, which remains stubbornly low. Suspecting that he's bleeding internally, Diane rushes her patient to the CT scan, aware that his condition could deteriorate drastically if the problem isn't diagnosed quickly. Across the hospital, dialysis nurse Rita is booked in for life-saving surgery to remove her cancerous kidney. This is a time-critical procedure. The tumour is large and is starting to grow into Rita's veins, and consultant urological surgeon Mr Golash knows that he must act fast before the cancer spreads and the situation becomes inoperable. Back in A&E, trauma team leader Vicky Burnham helps Yuen, a 49-year-old female rushed in after being crushed by a tree. With a transected pancreas and a laceration to the liver, Yuen is in a critical state and Vicky fears she may have to go straight into emergency surgery. But the results of the scan cause a dilemma for consultants — should they operate, or should they not? Finally, the pressure is on for trauma team leader Richard Fawcett, who needs to stabilise Chris, a marathon runner who has collapsed during a race with heat stroke. As his internal temperature soars, Chris's body literally starts to cook itself to death and he begins to have seizures. Richard knows that he has to act fast, as he has a limited window to cool Chris down before his patient has multiple organ failure.

It's a busy night for trauma team leader Julie Norton, who is juggling two life-threatening cases who arrive at the emergency department within minutes of each other. Both have potentially fatal hidden injuries. Lewis, 18, is an emergency transfer from another hospital and has suffered a cardiac arrest after being stabbed in the chest with a 20cm kitchen knife. While his life has been saved by open heart massage, Julie knows that there's a huge risk that he has suffered other internal injuries in the attack that may be still be bleeding, and she must act fast before his condition deteriorates again. At the same time, Welsh farmer Eric arrives in huge pain after being headbutted by his favourite cow. While Eric's laboured breathing immediately suggests a chest injury, Julie is also worried about any other damage that might not be so obvious. A CT scan reveals a bleeding artery in Eric's liver and the race is on to get him to surgery before it's too late. For Vivienne, too, time is of the essence. She's been diagnosed with an aneurism in one of the body's major vessels and has a ‘ticking time bomb' in her head she's worried will erupt. For surgeon Dr Nayak, there's not a moment to lose, as he knows that if Vivienne's artery bursts, her chances of survival are slim. Finally, Andy is brought in with multiple injuries after a motorcycle accident. With broken ribs, spinal fractures and chest injuries, Julie Norton breaks the news to his wife and teenage family that while Andy has miraculously avoided paralysis, it's likely that his condition will deteriorate before he improves.

A 17-year-old is rushed in by helicopter after a mountain bike accident which has left him with a catastrophic head injury, and neurological registrar Bobby Sachdev knows that he needs to act quickly to prevent long-term injury or even death. Elsewhere, Joe and his wife Sheila both need urgent care after being badly injured in a major road traffic accident.

In this final episode of the series, when 52-year-old Helen is rushed into Royal Stoke emergency department after a headon collision with a bus, trauma team leader Paul Hancock fears the worst. With a blown right pupil indicating a serious brain injury, an urgent scan reveals a devastating skull fracture that could be fatal. Neurosurgeons act quickly to relieve the pressure on her brain, but when her partner arrives, Paul has to prepare him for the fact that Helen might not make it. Meanwhile, 65-year-old HGV driver Michael was at work when he suddenly began to display worrying symptoms of a stroke. Tests reveal he has a severe lack of co-ordination on his right side, and Dr Janaka knows that if he doesn't act fast, his patient could suffer permanent paralysis. The race is on to shift the blood clot causing the stroke to give Michael a fighting chance of making a full recovery. Across the hospital, 35-year-old Daria is preparing for emergency surgery to treat an aneurysm in her brain. It could rupture at any minute, potentially killing her in an instant. She's one of the youngest patients Dr Nayak has ever treated with this condition, and he urgently needs to insert a stent into her brain to block off the aneurysm. But when the procedure doesn't go to plan, Dr Nayak has to think on his feet to save the life of his young patient. Finally, 80-year-old Fred has fallen down the stairs at home and has a significant head injury. Trauma team leader Richard Hall isn't only concerned about Fred's external injuries, but also, crucially, as to why his patient fell in the first place. An ECG confirms his worst fears: Fred has suffered a heart attack and Richard now knows that his patient is at risk of having a second, potentially fatal arrest. With his patient's life in the balance, Richard has to work quickly both to treat Fred's external injuries and the serious cardiac condition he has just uncovered.