Episode 5

Cancer operations at Nottingham University Hospitals are under threat of being cancelled as the trust has run out of beds. As people lie on trolleys waiting to be admitted into A&E, hundreds of mostly elderly patients are stuck in hospital. They are well enough to leave but must wait either for a place in a residential home or for the appropriate care packages to be set up to support them in their own homes.

93-year-old Ray has dementia and will need a package of care to help him once he is back at home. After ten weeks, social services organise a care package, but doubts arise about his ability to cope at home on his own.

89-year-old Jean has been waiting for the package of care that will allow her to go home. Her flat will need to be decluttered before it is deemed safe enough, but Jean's keys are missing, so she is offered a temporary place in a residential home until they are found. However, her social worker is concerned that a residential home is not right for her.

Four-month-old Spencer has never left the Paediatric High Dependency Unit. He was born with underdeveloped lungs and needs help with his breathing. Doctors have said he can go home, but the family's flat is too small to accommodate the equipment and the carers he needs.