Series 2

Daniel’s life hangs in the balance after a one punch attack in the street leaves him with a potentially devasting brain injury. Now unconscious, Trauma Team Leader Richard Fawcett quickly discovers he has a life-threatening bleed inside his brain and needs emergency surgical intervention.  Daniel’s family arrive at his bedside distraught but determined to be with him every step of the way. 

Time is critical too for Michael, who has just been admitted having a cardiac arrest. The staff have just minutes to save his life.

Paul also faces a huge choice. He needs urgent lifesaving surgery as his aortic valve has torn. He is in danger of dying without warning, but the operation comes with huge risks.

Meanwhile a young man is brought in following a motorbike accident, with suspected internal injuries and a factory worker hopes the team can save his arm following a major accident with a circular saw. 

This episode of 999 Critical Condition delivers an intimate portrait of life-saving medicine through the eyes of those who live it – the staff and the patients.

In this episode Royal Stoke’s doctors face exceptionally challenging cases: Joanna, a mother-of-one suffers a ruptured brain aneurism leaving Dr Sanjeev Nayak just minutes to attempt to stop the bleeding.

Meanwhile, a 17-year-old girl is critically injured in a car crash – her parents race to her side while trauma team leader Dr Richard Hall works to identify her injuries and get her to emergency surgery.

And in resus, a patient’s heart stops multiple times while Dr Hari Mandava battles to save his life. 

This unflinching episode of 999 Critical Condition delivers an intimate portrait of life-saving medicine through the eyes of those who live it – the staff and the patients.

In this episode Trauma Team Leader Julie Norton battles to save two patients whose lives hang in the balance. Ian, a father-of-four, is rushed in after suffering a cardiac arrest.  His wife Nikki is with him every step of the way as the team work quickly to stabilise him. But the worry is whether he has suffered any lasting brain damage when his heart stopped.  

Next a man arrives bleeding so heavily that he risks losing his entire circulatory system. Unless Julie and the team take immediate action, he could die.

Meanwhile, Georgia arrives in resus in severe pain. Clearly something is causing her acute distress – but what could it be? Can the team find out her mystery illness?

Ken is flown to the hospital via helicopter after falling from a roof and onto a skip. The impact has left him with a gaping wound to his thigh. But that’s not the only issue. He also has potentially life-threatening injuries to his pelvis and spine.  

Lastly, Michael has had a severe stroke and the blood supply to his brain is already shutting down.  But he’s in good hands - Dr Sanjeev Nayak, a pioneering stroke doctor, performs a thrombectomy to remove the clot in his brain giving him the best chance of survival.

In this episode we see just how fragile life can be.

In this episode, Trauma Team Leader Dr Chris Pickering and neurologist Dr Sanjeev Nayak deal with critical patients where there are many unknowns.

Will is rushed in after being stabbed multiple times by several assailants. He is clearly in pain and the injuries could be life-threating. Dr Pickering must quickly work out the trajectory of the knives used and how severe the internal injuries are. 

Meanwhile, Fiona, a 38 year old mother, has had a severe stroke.  She is paralysed down one side and can’t speak. Flown to the hospital via helicopter, Dr Nayak must attempt to remove the clot inside her brain.

Back in Resus, Ivan arrives in cardiac arrest. The team give him lifesaving CPR, but he remains in a critical condition. He now needs a triple heart bypass to give him a chance of surviving.

Meanwhile a woman has collapsed with a mystery illness, while Dr Pickering deals with a farmer who has had a major accident on his quad bike as he tried to stop a cow running onto a road. He’s been hit by a lorry, but the team need to work out the extent of his injuries.

This unflinching episode of 999 Critical Condition delivers an intimate portrait of life-saving medicine through the eyes of those who live it – the staff and the patients.

In this episode doctors deal with patients who suddenly become critically unwell.  Samantha is enjoying a trip to an adventure park with her family when she collapses, unable to move or talk.  Trauma team leader Dr Ann-Marie Morris discovers Samantha has a severe bleed inside her brain and explains to Samantha’s husband she needs immediate surgical intervention.  Neurosurgeon Anthony Roylance steps in – he must attempt to drain the fluid that has built up inside her head if she is to survive.

Meanwhile, Martin is driving his car when he feels the symptoms of a heart attack. The specialist cardiac team discovers he has a large clot in one of his arteries that needs an emergency procedure in order to save his life. 

Kevin is driving his van at work when he’s involved in a major road traffic collision and is air lifted to Royal Stoke with potentially life changing injuries.  Trauma team leader Vicky Burnham must stabilise him quickly and attempt to save his right leg which has lost blood flow and gone blue. 

In this episode the clock is ticking as doctors have seconds to make the right choices for their patients. Helen has a life-threatening aneurism in her brain which could burst at any time. This would lead to her death in minutes.  For her doctor, Sanjeev Nayak, there are no second chances.  He must make life or death decisions in an extraordinary operation to cure her.

Michael’s life is on a knife edge after collapsing with a cardiac arrest.  A neighbour initially saves him by giving him immediate CPR, but now the trauma doctors face a battle on two fronts: they must both quickly assess his head injury and get him to the specialist cardiac unit to remove a clot in his artery that’s destroying his heart.

After a devastating fall at home, Melanie has lost almost half her body’s blood from a huge head wound and blood is draining from her vital organs. Staff are in a race against time to save her.

Meanwhile, Betty is rushed in to the hospital with a ruptured spleen.  However, the operation she may need could also kill her.  Trauma Team Leader Dr Chris Pickering must quickly weigh up the risks of her treatment options and communicate with her family who rush to be by her side.

This episode of 999 Critical Condition delivers an intimate portrait of life-saving medicine through the eyes of those who live it – the staff and the patients.

A 29-year-old man from North Staffordshire escaped death after being attacked in the street thanks to the life-saving nurses and doctors at the University Hospital of North Midlands.

Daniel Vickers, of Belle Vue Road, Leek was punched in the head while on a night out and rushed to the major trauma centre at Royal Stoke University Hospital with severe head injuries in July last year.

His brush with death will be retold in the first episode of the second series of 999:Critical Condition on Channel 5 on Thursday 24 September at 9pm. The ground-breaking documentary featuring the hospital’s clinical teams has received critical acclaim and follows in incredible detail the staff and patients as they confront the realities of emergency medicine.

Dan, who is a sports therapist at Stoke City FC Academy, said: “My first memory of the treatment at Royal Stoke was when I woke up and was asked if I knew where I was. I was totally numb and in complete shock once everything was explained to me. I was only in hospital for one week but I don’t think I realised or came to terms with what had happened until three or four months later.

“It has made me realise that you really don’t know what life is going to throw at you until something like this happens. This isn’t a film or television show, it is real life, it’s my life.” 

Daniel suffered a bleed on the brain and doctors had to relieve the pressure in his head by drilling a hole in his skull and draining the blood. A year later following intensive physiotherapy, he is finally back on the mend, but has suffered many months of hearing and balance problems.

He said: “I have life changing injuries and am now severely deaf in one ear and moderately deaf in the other. I still get headaches and dizziness but I am determined to get back to work and live my life. I remember a doctor telling me when I was discharged that it would be long and slow recovery time. I work as a sports therapist and thought I can rehab myself but when it’s brain and skull you have to be patient and let it take time to heal.”

Daniel’s mum Yvonne Smith said: “The whole experience was totally surreal and I couldn’t believe it was happening. It was incredibly traumatic and if it wasn’t for the people who treated him at Royal Stoke he wouldn’t be with us today. It didn’t want to believe what they were telling me at the time but was thankful they were honest and upfront. It’s such an amazing place for head injuries and I can’t tell you how thankful we are to all the doctors and nurses involved in Dan’s care.”

A 41-year-old single mum is looking forward to living her life and spending quality time with her son after receiving life-saving care at University Hospitals of North Midlands.

Joanna Watts was admitted to the major trauma centre at Royal Stoke University Hospital with a brain aneurysm  or bleed on the brain and her case will be featured on the second episode of UHNMs exclusive documentary on Channel 5 999 Critical Condition on Thursday (31 Sept) at 9pm.

UHNM has been at the forefront of pioneering mechanical thrombectomy treatment and was the first in the UK to offer a 24/7 service.

Joanna suffered from extreme pain while in bed at home and called an ambulance. After initial assessment at her local hospital in Crewe she was transferred to the specialist stroke services available at University Hospital of Royal Stoke.

Joanna said: “I have found the whole experience very surreal. It wasn’t until I left the hospital that it actually hit me what had happened but I was relieved I was taken to the right place. It wasn’t until I did some research after that I realised just how close to death I came and I have struggled a lot with that, especially as I am a single mum.”

She added: “I am quite an upbeat person but I have been very anxious but now I want to live for today and tomorrow and not for yesterday and spend quality time with my son who is now seven.”

Joanna was in hospital for two weeks and spent a week on critical care and was then transferred to a ward to continue her recovery.

“I am eternally grateful to everyone involved in my care. They saved my life at the end of the day. I am also grateful to the nurses in critical care who looked after me and washed my hair after my operation. It’s small things like this that helped me to start to feel more normal again,” Joanna said.

Thursday’s episode also includes a 17-year-old girl critically injured in a car crash in North Wales. Her parents race to her side while trauma team leader Dr Richard Hall works to identify her injuries and get her to emergency surgery.

And in resus, a patient’s heart stops multiple times while Dr Hari Mandava battles to save his life. 

This unflinching episode of 999 Critical Condition delivers an intimate portrait of life-saving medicine through the eyes of those who live it – the staff and the patients.

A motorbike enthusiast today said he was lucky to be alive after crashing his bike into a stone wall and being rushed to the University Hospitals of North Midlands’ major trauma centre.

David Boyce, 34, was travelling home when he crashed into the wall and ended up unconscious in a field. He was airlifted by air ambulance to the trauma centre at Royal Stoke University Hospital for specialist urgent treatment.

His case featured in the second episode of the new series of 999 Critical Condition on Channel 5 on Thursday night. The ground-breaking documentary featuring the clinical staff has received critical acclaim and follows in incredible detail the staff and patients as they confront the realities of emergency medicine.

David, of Wilmslow, said: “The crash happened just a couple of days after my birthday and I had treated myself to a new helmet as a birthday present so it had never been worn but I put it well and truly to the test.

“The doctors said that because it was a brand new helmet it gave me the best protections. Without a doubt I am lucky to be alive.”

In the episode Dr Chris Pickering, consultant in emergency medicine, explains his concerns about a potential head injury and internal bleeding but following a CT scan also acknowledged David was a “lucky boy!”

David, who has made good recovery, said: “I don’t remember anything about the accident or going in the helicopter but I do remember waking up in hospital and wondering why I was in Stoke.

 “It is only now that I understand why I was taken there and that I received the specialist care I needed because of my potential injuries.”

He said: “I have ridden a motorbike for almost 17 years and this was my first crash and no-one will let me get back on the bike although I think I would like to. If anything comes from my accident I would urge people who ride bikes to wear the right gear even if you’re just popping to the shops.”

Thursday’s episode also included a mother-of-one who suffered from a ruptured brain aneurism; a 17-year-old girl who is critically injured in a car crash and a patient’s heart stops multiple times.

A Cheadle mum-of-two thought she was going to die after being struck down by excruciating pain from a mystery illness and being transferred by ambulance to University Hospital of North Midland’s Major Trauma Centre.

Georgia Forrester, of Froghall Road, Cheadle will feature in the third episode of 999 Critical Condition, the exclusive behind the scenes documentary charting the life-saving decisions of clinicians at Royal Stoke University Hospital.

Georgia was blue lighted by ambulance to Royal Stoke with extreme chest and back pain where doctors carried out a number of different investigations to find the source of the pain.

The 28-year-old said: “I was on my hands and knees and in absolute agony when I called 999 with crushing pain in my abdomen. It was like a tightening around my whiole body and really took my breath away. I have had two babies without pain relief and this pain was something else. I remember thinking in the ambulance that I was a gonna!”

In the episode doctors desperately try to find the cause of her pain with Dr Andrew Bennett, claiming initial results have thrown a “spanner in the works” and put him “back to square one” when they come back inconclusive

She added: “I stayed in hospital for two days and had a number of tests and they all came back clear and didn’t know what was wrong with me.”

Georgia has now been diagnosed with sphincter of oddi dysfunction, a condition which creates a build-up of digestives juices in the pancreas and liver and can lead to abdominal pain.

Also in this episode Trauma Team Leader Dr Julie Norton battles to save two patients whose lives hang in the balance. A father-of-four, is rushed in after suffering a cardiac arrest but the worry is whether he has suffered any lasting brain damage when his heart stopped. 

Next a man arrives bleeding so heavily that he risks losing his entire circulatory system.

After falling from a roof and onto a skip a patient is left him with a gaping wound to his thigh. But he also has potentially life-threatening injuries to his pelvis and spine.  

Lastly, Michael has had a severe stroke and the blood supply to his brain is already shutting down.  Dr Sanjeev Nayak, UHNM stroke doctor, performs a thrombectomy to remove the clot in his brain giving him the best chance of survival.

999 Critical Condition is on Channel 5 on Thursday 8 October at 9pm.

A North Staffordshire father-of-four was rushed to University Hospital of North Midlands’ major trauma centre after his heart stopped and he collapsed at home.

Ian Barton was found by his daughter after suffering a cardiac arrest in his Meir Heath home and will feature in tonight’s gripping episode of 999 Critical Condition on Channel 5 at 9pm.

Ian, a former engineer in the Royal Navy and who now works at JCB, was transferred to the major trauma centre at Royal Stoke University Hospital and as the team of medics and nurses battle to save his life, the worry is whether he has suffered any lasting brain damage when his heart stopped. 

After calling 999 his wife Nikki, instructed by call handlers at West Midlands Ambulance Service carried out CPR. Today Ian said: “it was the day after my birthday and I’d been on my own most of the weekend while the rest of the family were rehearsing for a panto and I just collapsed.

“My wife performed CPR as my daughter repeated the instructions from the ambulance service. Between them they helped keep me alive before the paramedics arrived and I could be taken to hospital.”

In the episode trauma team leader and consultant in emergency medicine Dr Julie Norton says: “The survival rates are still very poor for those who have an out of hospital cardiac arrest. So we do absolutely everything we can in the hope that this is one of those who will survive.” 

Ian spent 10 days at the Royal Stoke which included two and half days in an induced coma in the Critical Care Unit and has since been fitted with a defibrillator which will restart his heart immediately should it stop again.

He said: “They think my heart condition is genetic and now the rest of the family is being tested to see if they have it too. It was a very scary experience but I owe my life to not just the amazing support and care from the hospital but to my family too… and that costs me a bit now!”

Also in this episode Dr Norton battles to save a man who arrives bleeding so heavily that he risks losing his entire circulatory system; a patient is left with a gaping wound to his thigh after falling from a roof and another man has had a severe stroke and the blood supply to his brain is beginning to shutting down before a thrombectomy to remove the clot in his brain gives him the best chance of survival.

999 Critical Condition is on Channel 5 on Thursday 8 October at 9pm.

A North Staffordshire granddad owes his life to staff at University Hospitals of North Midlands after his heart stopped following a run.

The fourth episode of hit TV documentary 999 Critical Condition, filmed exclusively Royal Stoke University Hospital, features the story of Huw Chapman who collapsed in a car park after completing the Couch to 5K.

Attempts to resuscitate him were started by Royal Stoke midwife Cassie Cooke who had been enjoying a drink at a nearby pub when the incident happened before he was transferred for urgent treatment at the hospital’s major trauma centre.

In the episode Dr Anthony Taylor, Associate Specialist in Emergency Medicine, says Huw’s “lucky break” was that somebody who knew how to do good CPR was able to do it almost immediately after his cardiac arrest.

He adds: “Without CPR the chances of us being able to do anything for him would be tiny.”

Huw, of Endon, who owns his own flooring company, was then rushed to the cardiology department where he had a stent fitted to repair a tear in his artery which was limiting the blood flow to his heart.

The father of two said: “I was lucky that there were people in the pub who were able to do CPR and saved me and within an hour of arriving at Royal Stoke I had had stents put in and don’t have any lasting damage to my heart.  It is incredible.”

Cassie said: “I did what I had to do when I was there and just got on with it. I was only doing my job. The training I have had is invaluable and it was a fantastic result in the end.”

He has now taken up running again following long –term care with the Royal Stoke’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Team.

“I’ve been going to a lot of walks and while I don’t think I will ever run a full 5k again I do enjoy getting out and doing a bit of running and walking and thank the Cardiac Rehabilitation team for helping me do that within a month of the cardiac arrest,” Huw said.

He is now campaigning with the British Heart Foundation for all people especially school-age to learn the life-saving skill of CPR.

This week’s episode of 999 Critical Condition also features a 38-year-old whose heart suddenly stops while driving to work on the M6. Dr Ann-Marie Morris, Clinical Director of Urgent and Emergency Care and her team battle to resuscitate Lesley but the question is whether her brain has been affected when her heart stopped.

A 28-year-old is rushed to the Royal Stoke having a severe asthma attack, a 20-year-old has thrown from her horse, landed onto her neck and is in severe pain and a pensioner is hit by a motorbike while crossing the road leaving large open wound on her lower leg. 

A mum-of-two who suffered a severe brain haemorrhage is now back with her family and living a normal life, thanks to the fast-acting team at Royal Stoke. 42-year-old Samantha Kember, from Eastbourne, was enjoying a break at Alton Towers last summer with husband Dave and children Amelia and Harry when she experienced sudden severe head pain and began vomiting. She was rushed to hospital after blacking out in her hotel room.

Samantha, who will feature in tonight’s episode of 999: Critical Condition on Channel 5, had to undergo intensive rehabilitation and learn to walk again but incredibly was able to enjoy a family holiday in Florida just months after the incident occurred. She is now driving and has returned to her job at a children’s nursery.

Today Samantha said: “It was the first Friday of our holiday when it happened. My daughter Amelia had just finished her GCSEs and had been to her prom the night before.  I had actually felt really unwell the day before we went but we were all looking forward to going and I didn’t want to disappoint anyone.

“When we were at the park, I started to feel unwell again and so I went to the hotel room to have a lie down. Fortunately Dave came with me. I passed out within five minutes of getting to the room and I don’t remember much after that.

“Life is pretty much back to normal now, although I do have days when I feel very tired. But there are more good days than bad. The staff at Royal Stoke worked so hard and fast to save me, they really were incredible. If they hadn’t been so good, I might not be here now.”

In tonight’s moving episode, emergency medicine consultant Dr Ann-Marie Morris talks about the importance of having compassion for patients and neurosurgery registrar Dr Anthony Roylance rushes Samantha into theatres, where he performs a life-saving procedure to drain fluid from her brain.  He says: “Operating on and around the brain always has inherent risk. It’s never a light-hearted decision to take someone to theatre. You think about what if was yourself and it was your family.”

Samantha was diagnosed with ‘Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome’ (RCVS), part of a group of disorders which are characterised by severe headaches and a narrowing of the blood vessels in the brain.

Dave Kember, Samantha’s husband, said: “Thankfully, Samantha received the right intervention at the right time. RCVS is very rare and it’s one of those things that can just happen. The good thing is that when someone recovers, it is as unlikely to happen again as it was in the first place. We just have to enjoy life now and get on with it.”

A former teacher has made a full recovery from a life-threatening brain aneurysm following treatment at University Hospitals of North Midlands which is rarely used across the country .

Helen Norton, of Shrewsbury, was transferred to the specialist neurology service Royal Stoke University Hospital after falling ill during a spin cycling class. Her story features in tonight’s (THURS 5 NOV) episode of 999: Critical Condition, the exclusive documentary charting the life and death decisions and actions of clinicians at the hospital’s major trauma centre

Today, the 56-year-old mother-of-one said: “I was in a spinning class and up until then I had been absolutely fine but all of a sudden I just felt weird and distant from everything around me, almost like I was under water. I felt panicky and got off the bike and went for fresh air. Thankfully there was a GP at the gym who helped and staff called 999.”

Following a series of scans experts identified a brain aneurysm, which was less than a millimetre in size, located at the back of her brain – a difficult location for surgery.

In the episode Dr Sanjeev Nayak, consultant neuroradiologist, fits a special stent to improve blood flow to Helen’s brain. Today he explained that the procedure uses artificial intelligence to ensure the stent is tailor-made, measures and is placed accurately.

In the show Dr Nayak says: “An aneurysm is like a blister on the vessel of the brain and if that ruptures, in this particular case it can lead to disability or death. A third of the patients who have this haemorrhage don’t make it to the hospital, they don’t survive.

In a poignant and emotional moment, Helen’s husband Simon speaks of his love for wife Helen saying: “You can’t really put into words what that feels like, to know that someone who you love, you know, deeply that things could have turned out so very different. The doctor talked about how close you can be to death and it makes you evaluate and appreciate what you’ve got and what you potentially can lose.”

The screening of the episode makes the 12 month anniversary of Helen, who is a school receptionist,  having the aneurysm. She said: “It has been a strange 12 months, I lost my mother in August last year and then I had the brain haemorrhage followed by Covid, which has affected us all. It’s like a plague of locusts but I am so thankful that I am now fit and healthy, back at the gym and have come through it. I am grateful to Dr Nayak who both Simon and I have so much admiration for and give credit to the whole team and nursing care I received, my care was fantastic and I am very grateful.”

Watch Helen’s story on Channel 5 at 9pm on Thursday 5 November.