Netflix has added Critical: Between Life and Death, a six-part documentary series following London's trauma units as they treat the most severely injured people.
The makers, for three weeks, used 40 cameras to follow the entire London Major Major Trauma System.
Netflix says: "In London, a major trauma happens every 60 minutes, and for the NHS, each call is a race against time."
One of the emergencies featured happened last summer when four people were injured in a funfair-ride accident. After couple Alison and Nick took their seats on a ride, Alison's sister Claire watched in horror as the attraction suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure.
"I saw heads and bodies bashing into the railings, like crash-test dummies," she recalls. "The whole of the side of Nick's face was open — just this big hole."
Alison was taken to nearby King's College Hospital in Camberwell, while Nick was admitted to St George's in Tooting, so each could be treated by a dedicated team.
“Alison had rib fractures that had ruptured her lung, so she couldn’t breathe properly,” explains Dr Lalarukh Asim, an emergency-medicine and major-trauma consultant at King's. “We had to pierce the lining of the chest cavity and insert a tube.”
The cameras follow what happens next in the dramatic episode. Dr Asim says, “People come here in crisis. So to be able to make a difference is what drives me, and I hope people watching all appreciate the amazing work done in the NHS."
Netflix adds: “The documentary series goes over the shoulder and under the scapel to reveal not only the life-saving interventions but also the personal, emotional, and sometimes traumatic reasons that inspire those on the NHS frontline to do a job where every second counts.”
Is Critical: Between Life and Death worth a watch?
Yes, we know it's from the makers of the award-winning 24 Hours in A&E, which means it should be a quality production. It also has exclusive access to the London trauma system, meaning you will get a unique insight into how people are treated.
It also promises to explore how the doctors and nurses themselves cope emotionally with everything thrown at them.
Critical: Between Life and Death is on Netflix now. See our best series on Netflix guide for more shows to watch.
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