Viewers left ‘completely heartbroken’ and in ‘floods of tears’ by BBC Hospital documentary after patient dies unexpectedly following battle for life-saving op
HOSPITAL viewers were left heartbroken and in floods of tears after it was revealed a patient who had battled for a life-saving operation died unexpectedly after finally going under the knife.
Tonight's episode of the BBC documentary followed the story of Peter Lai, a 60-year-old retired software engineer in need of a life-saving operation threatened with cancellation if a bed could not be found.
Mr Lai had an aortic aneurysm - a swelling of the main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart, through the abdomen to the rest of the body.
When it swells to more than 5.5cm doctors class it as a large aneurysm.
Though rare, they are life-threatening, at risk of bursting and triggering huge internal bleeding.
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Mr Lai's aneurysm, measuring a staggering 16cm, was well within the realms of what experts class as serious.
It had taken two months to co-ordinate the diaries of the specialist team needed to perform his surgery, led by consultant Colin Bicknell.
Mr Bicknell explained that if Mr Lai did not have the operation and his aneurysm burst at home or work he had "no chance" but with the operation he would have the chance of a long life.
But the life-saving op hung in the balance as more and more patients flooded A&E and medics struggled to free up beds.
Waiting to find out if he will get a bed Mr Lai told the documentary makers: "We just need the luck.
"I always believe there's nothing to worry about unless there's something to worry about."
His wife of 36-years spoke about the pressure of living with the condition.
Diana said: "I love him as much today as I ever did I want to be there for him, I will do my best for him, I wish I did not cry all the time but I have just found it very difficult.";
The story returns to Mr Lai after he has waited nine hours for a bed that will allow his life-saving operation to go ahead - his wife is leaving for the night.
He says: "When the night comes it brings the sadness still hopefully tomorrow will bring a bit of luck.
"It will be good to go ahead and get it over and done with."
Mr Bicknell, who helped organise Mr Lai's care, said: "To find a date that everyone is in the hospital and free, it takes a tremendous amount of organising and planning.
"It takes a huge amount of preoperative work-up, he has been around and been checked out by everyone.
"All in all it took six to eight weeks and now we are here with him waiting - the likelihood of an ICU bed? Not very high."
Peter is on a bed, in a gown, thanking the nurses who have helped him to that point when the surgical team receive the call saying an intensive care bed will not be available.
An emotional Mr Lai is told the news.
He says: "It just deflates you it's a bit unreal at the last minute yes and then no."
In the closing moments of the programme viewers saw that Mr Lai had returned to the hospital and this time the operation could go ahead and "went very well".
But sadly as the credits rolled it was revealed that he died unexpectedly before Christmas, with his wife by his side.
The news shocked viewers who turned to social media to express their sadness.
One described his story as "extraordinary and heartbreaking".
Another described the announcement as a "kick in the guts".
A third described the episode as a "roller-coaster of emotions".
The pressures facing NHS staff has dominated the news in recent months, with senior medics warning the health service is facing its worst winter crisis in its 69-year history.
Tonight, in the second episode of BBC2's new documentary Hospital, the daily stresses faced by those on the NHS frontline was laid bare.
Filmed in St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, which at its worst could have as many as 35 patients waiting for a bed in the intensive care unit, it looks at the desperate decisions staff need to make to prioritise patients.
For every patient we discharge another patient is given that bed automatically, so if that goes wrong our system starts to back up
Lesley Powls
So severe is the NHS situation, the Red Cross has branded it a “humanitarian crisis”, while leading NHS bosses have said it is an "unprecedented" and "titanic" pressure.
Casualty departments are failing to meet key performance targets and are being forced to turn ambulances away, while ‘bed blocking’ is up 52 per from five years ago.
Around 7,000 of England’s 137,000 hospital beds are filled each day by patients who are ready to be discharged, but cannot be due to a lack of provision in social care.
Tonight's distressing episode also showed a man in his 30s who was brought into A&E vomiting blood, left waiting six hours in a theatre for a bed because all 16 beds in intensive care are occupied.
It has a ripple effect and patients scheduled for surgery in that theatre face having their operations postponed.
Then, a 21-year-old carpenter is brought in after a fall from height.
Doctors sedate him and wait for a bed in the intensive care unit to become free.
Lesley Powls the site director at the hospital tells viewers: “This [capacity] is really bad, I am sure it has been worse but this is particularly bad."
She said medics were forced to be “proactive and brave” and ask: “If a patient can go home tomorrow, why can’t they go home today?
“For every patient we discharge another patient is given that bed automatically, so if that goes wrong our system starts to back up.”
But the real concern is that this is not a unique case, and nurses, doctors and other NHS staff are becoming tired and overworked - facing these decisions countless times each day.
Ms Powls added: "A lot of the time our capacity at St Mary's we are running at 98 or 99 per cent capacity, which is extraordinary.
"What that means in essence is we are always running with one or two empty beds which isn't nearly enough.
"It wouldn't be a problem if we never admitted more than one patient a day but we do.
"It is what it is, people get sick and they come to hospital, we can't change that."
Discharge Nurse Sister Alice Markay said: “The pressure that is on the NHS, you worry about it because the walls are not elastic and the demand is high.
“It is all about beds, beds and more beds.
“But you have to look after the patients, whether they come from Buckingham Palace or the park bench."
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