Losing Patients

Nigel Planer returns in the Health Service satire by Dr Phil Hammond and David Spicer. The Polyoaks surgery is plagued by strikes, endless new management initiatives, staff shortages, militant patients, eight day weeks, privatisation – and all these things are entirely their fault, apparently.

The dysfunctional Bristol surgery run by warring doctors, brothers Roy and Hugh Thornton alternates between embracing and collapsing under reforms. They’re a nurse down, they’ve got to slash their budget and there’s a new Head of the local Clinical Commissioning Group who eats GPs for breakfast.

The practice’s calamitous ‘celebrity’ Dr Jeremy who doesn’t know what a Clinical Commissioning Group is, continues to dodge alimony payments, malpractice suits and the new practice Nurse Monica. Nurse Monica is on exchange from NHS Scotland and is fuelled by a borderline psychotic contempt for patients and colleagues alike.

In this opening episode, the staff of Polyoaks are roped into spearheading a new anti-obesity campaign to save lives, self respect and money.

Roy............................Nigel Planer
Hugh..........................Simon Greenall
Jeremy.......................David Westhead
Monica.......................Polly Frame
Stephanie Simons.......Margaret Cabourn-Smith
Patients.....................Kate O'Sullivan and Duncan Wisbey

Written by Dr Phil Hammond and Mr David Spicer

Director: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in May 2016.