Hospital : Series two. Part 4.

To begin, Site Director for St Mary’s Hospital Lesley Powls leads a daily conference across Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust hospitals. St Mary’s bed status coordination system is explained. Consultant Anaesthetist Dr Shelley Ward liaises with staff across the hospital explaining the bed status for the day. Consultant Colorectal Surgeon Mr George Reese runs through his scheduled surgery for the day and briefs his staff. Professor of Surgical Sciences George Hanna greets his patient Simon, and his wife Patricia, who then explain the development of his illness. Head of Adult Intensive Care Dr Simon Ashworth meets with various patients that need moving to other units within the hospital. Reese talks with his patient, Eladio, who is awaiting surgery. Clinical Director, General Vascular Surgery Mr Richard Gibbs prepares to operate on an emergency case heading to the hospital from Norwich. Rese performs keyhole surgery on Eladio’s cancerous bowel. Powls talks about her position being the sole decision maker for each available bed. Gibbs performs surgery on Janice, the emergency patient from Norwich. Ashworth talks through the emotional strains of performing his job. Clinical Director of Emergency Medicine Dr Alison Sanders discusses the state of the Intensive Care Unit at St Mary’s. Ashworth and Powls give the go ahead for Simon’s surgery, and Hanna performs the esophagectomy. Consultant Histopathologists Professor Robert Goldin and Dr Michael Osborn analyse Simon’s oesophagus. Powls attends a weekly meeting with Director of Medicine Division Professor Tim Orchard and Deputy Medical Director Dr William Oldfield to lay out a set of contingency measures for the possibility of reaching zero capacity, known as the Full Capacity Protocol. Powls explains this further. Eladio is discharged, and the results of Simon’s pathology tests are revealed to Hanna and the patient.