Episode 1

Hospital returns for a sixth series to London’s Royal Free Trust, a world-leader in the treatment of infectious diseases and one of the biggest NHS trusts in the country.

The first episode explores the impact on patients from the NHS having to prioritise their response to the national pandemic above almost everything else. During the pandemic, most of the Trust’s work in their three hospitals was completely halted in order to allow it to cope with nearly 2,000 patients with Covid-19.

It’s now August, and the Royal Free London must enforce strict new Covid protocols, including social distancing, Covid testing and Covid-secure ‘pathways’ for patients who enter the hospital. Although there are mounting waiting lists, the new restrictions mean the hospital’s activity is down by 50%, causing huge waits for diagnosis and treatment despite NHS staff’s tireless efforts.

Follow the human stories behind the headlines of staff and patients as they grapple with the extraordinary challenge of operating within the new Covid-19 landscape.