BBC Factual Commissions Saving Lives in Leeds

BBC Factual has ordered the new medical documentary series Saving Lives in Leeds from Label1 for BBC Two and iPlayer.

Over eight episodes, the docuseries follows the doctors and surgeons of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as they contend with ever-increasing waiting lists and decide who to treat next.

The series features in-depth interviews and life-changing operations as it follows each clinician’s case load. This includes operating on brain tumors, performing cardiac surgery on babies, providing life-saving liver treatment and carrying out a high-risk double hand transplant.

Saving Lives in Leeds is produced by Fremantle’s Label1, the makers of Hospital. It is executive produced by Lorraine Charker-Phillips for Label1, Anouk Curry and Catey Sexton.

“Saving Lives in Leeds will bring us closer than ever before to the clinicians facing difficult dilemmas on a daily basis and show us what they need to overcome before tackling the day job of changing people’s lives,” said Emma Loach, commissioning editor for BBC Documentaries.

Professor Phil Wood, chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said, “Saving Lives in Leeds really shines a light on the outstanding people working at Leeds Teaching Hospitals carrying out remarkable and world-leading surgery. It highlights some of the challenging decisions they make on a day-to-day basis as they work to ensure our patients get the best possible care. It’s been a really positive opportunity for us to explain the complexity behind some of the decisions we take when managing waiting lists and highlight that we always have our patients’ best interests at the heart of everything we do.”

Charker-Phillips, co-founder of Label1, added, “Label1 is proud to bring viewers this eye-opening new medical series with extraordinary, touching and life-affirming stories, shown through the eyes of consultants and their patients as they decide who to treat next on their waiting lists. Filmed across the whole of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, it gives unique insight into the variety of work being done across their departments at a time when decisions around how to tackle the growing backlog have never been more important.”