Royal Stoke documentary series is critic’s choice in America

A gripping documentary filmed exclusively at University Hospitals of North Midlands has received critical acclaim from across the Atlantic after reaching new audiences through streaming channels.

999: Critical Condition has been filmed at the Royal Stoke University Hospital since 2018 and now its first episodes have been made available on Roku and Amazon Prime, with streaming also available on Netflix later this year.

Filmed by Brinkworth Productions, UHNM’s major trauma centre and other emergency departments, have been documented for the last five years, showcasing the vital interventions, actions and medical strategies that specialist consultants and their teams experience while delivering immediate life-saving care.

New York Times Television Critic Margaret Lyons has now hailed the programme and Royal Stoke’s teams as “fantastic” and the storytelling as “fast-paced, riveting and grounded.”

In her review she said: “’Critical’ follows some patients’ stories through to resolution, including death, and some cases we see more as snapshots. But even in these fleeting moments, the portraiture is rich and fascinating, a whole family’s saga distilled into one nervous sigh. There are lots of scenes of personal finesse and ingenuity, and also plenty that depict the more standardised treatments and checklists, the grind of it all.”

UHNM Deputy Director of Communications Jessie Dickson said letting the cameras in was always about showing to a wider audience what it takes to deliver life-saving critical care in one of the UK’s biggest and busiest trauma centres.

“It is fantastic that the relentless fast pace of our hospital’s daily workload and the reality of providing critical care in the vital first minutes after a patient arrives in a life-threatening condition is now being showcased across the Atlantic.

“The programme has always been a true picture of the life-threatening injuries and conditions our teams deal with day in, day out and we are thrilled an American audience is now able to witness the moments of absolute pride in the excellent care that we give to our patients and their families,” she added.