The Great Hospital Experiment

[tj63]

Just got a shock, seeing Boyd on BBC2. What a lovely treat seeing that smiling face again.

I was supposed to be on the programme too, but they cut my bit out. Don't care now. Seeing our old friend has made up for it.

[timbo]

Im intrigued Trevor. Whats the story?

[themoudie]

Aye, please find a link to the BBC iPlayer below that will take you to the first Episode of Series one of the documentary "The Big Hospital Experiment"about voulenteers working in NHS Royal Derby Hospital.

Extract from programme introduction:

"Contains some strong language.

At the heart of the NHS are the nursing staff, who care for one million patients every 24 hours across Great Britain. These unsung heroes are at the frontline of the health service, facing the ever-stretched reality of an unprecedented staffing crisis and patients with more complex needs than ever before.

This series follows one hospital in Derby which is trialling an innovative social experiment based on a scheme in Germany. Their aim is to find out whether young volunteers can help relieve the pressures of staff on the wards and make a positive difference to patient care.

Fourteen 18-24-year-olds have signed up to volunteer at the Royal Derby Hospital for six weeks. None of them have worked on a hospital ward before and some are yet to have a full-time job of any type. They are mentored by senior nurse Karen, who is monitoring their progress and assessing whether the scheme could work long term for the NHS. Karen has been qualified for 32 years and hopes that the new volunteers have the resilience to handle life on the wards. 'Working in the NHS is a constant daily battle. There is not enough staff to care for patients'............... "

Link: BBC_The_Big_Hospital_Experiment_series1_episode1

I hope this helps.

My regards, Bill

[tj63]

Three of the volunteers were also trained to be Community First Responders. I am the coordinator of the group which accompanied them over two weekends attending emergencies in the Derby area. We went to several jobs accompanied by a cameraman, and the car was rigged up with GoPro gear.

In the end, the editors of the programme couldn't weave together the events on the road with those in the hospital and maintain the flow of the story, so they decided to ditch our bit. The ambulance service does get a credit in the titles, and now you know why.

[timbo]

Thanks for that guys. I shall have a look.

[Dave#22]

Watched it on catchup last night...nice to see Boyd again, shame about the circumstances.
Dave.