Episode 9 Secret Life of the Hospital Bed

Hand versus chainsaw! That looks painful.

Our hospitals are taking care of more patients than ever.

-Are you all right?

-Ohhh...

-Oh, poppet!

With medical teams under constant pressure...

Can Dr Pizzi come to Resus, please?

When you're as poorly as this little one, you really need treatment quickly.

..to meet our expectations.

I'm just worried about what he's going to be like afterwards.

But there is a crucial member of the team we sometimes forget.

I've never been on a bed like this.

The hospital bed.

Another ward, another story, another bed.

AAAAGH!

In our lifetime, we are likely to need one of them at least three times.

I've probably spent a quarter of my life on a hospital bed.

In this series, our cameras have been given unprecedented access

to beds in four very different hospitals across the country.

It's life.

Life and death and...everything that goes in between.

We'll see the world through the beds' eyes...

Hello, my love. Hiya!

..as they share the most challenging...

I don't know what to do.

I don't know!

-..most intimate...

-I'm OK.

I know...

-..and most rewarding...

-Happy birthday!

Isn't hospital wonderful?

-..moments of our lives.

-Thank you for being here.

I'm not going anywhere else.

A hospital cannot function without beds. Beds are vital.

This is The Secret Life Of The Hospital Bed.

Falls account for 40% of all ambulance callouts for older people.

In Newcastle, some of the most serious casualties come here,

to the Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Hi, it's Sally. We've had a pre-alert, an 11-year-old male.

Like most A&E departments,

the RVI has a special area for patients with life-threatening

illnesses or injuries.

It's called Resus.

Hello, there. Hello?

These Resus beds meet patients at a critical point,

often when their lives hang in the balance.

This is Resus Bed 2 waiting for its next patient.

64-year-old painter and decorator Howard

has fallen from a ladder, hitting his head on a kitchen unit.

-We've done the bloods.

-Fine.

He's got morphine and bits of bobs prescribed for him.

I'll do a thorough exam and I'll let you know.

Good man. Thank you very much.

Registrar Dr Vorges has been working in A&E for 11 years.

-Any pain in the tummy?

-Haven't got any pain.

Only when I'm sitting up.

Any pain when I press here?

-INDISTINCT

-OK.

-Is it OK if I just put you back down?

-Howard?

-Where does that hurt?

-Back.

On the back. Sorry for that.

Howard has had several brain aneurysms.

These are bulges in his blood vessel walls which can burst.

So you can remember the whole thing?

I was painting above a kitchen unit

and I was on steps. And I started leaning over...

-And I came up suddenly and...

-You slipped.

I banged my head and fell on the floor.

When did you lose consciousness?

Was it immediately after the fall or later?

I slipped and fell and banged my head and hit the floor,

so from banging my head on the floor, that was it.

As he's hit his head,

Howard is at high risk of having a bleed on the brain.

His only daughter Jane rushed him to hospital.

Does it feel big? Oh, yeah! Yeah, that's quite big.

-It's your head you're worried about, really, isn't it?

-Yeah.

I've had four major strokes.

-Aneurysm...

-Three aneurysms.

Epilepsy.

Some people can have a seizure in the first few weeks after

a stroke, and a small number, like Howard, go on to develop epilepsy.

When he had his first fit, it was horrible. We didn't...

None of us had any experience of seeing a fit,

so we didn't know it was a fit.

So we just thought, what's happening to him?

He was thrashing about and pouring with blood out of his mouth,

because he'd bit his tongue.

Once he had more, it was just a case of making sure

he didn't hurt himself, making sure he didn't fall.

So who found you?

Student nurse Belle gets Howard ready for his brain scan.

He banged his head today, so...

He's a little bit worried about it, but we're going to get a scan.

I worked in this hospital, painting this hospital,

for two or three year.

-Oh, did you? That's lovely!

-HOWARD CHUCKLES

-How long ago?

-When it was built.

-When the new-build was done, wasn't it?

-New-build.

Three year ago.

No, more than that.

I'll put this on you...

This is called the Microson machine.

It's like a video scan, just to have a look in your tummy.

Just to see there isn't anything wrong.

What previous tummy surgeries have you had?

Have you had any tummy surgeries?

-I had cancer.

-You had cancer for...?

-Bowel cancer.

-Bowel cancer.

The operation to remove cancer from Howard's bowel three years ago

was successful.

So why I'm doing this scan...is to see if there's any...blood in...

-the tummy.

-Oh.

Last year, he also broke three ribs after a fall at work.

I think when he broke his ribs,

that was the thing that bothered him the most.

He was so immobile, couldn't do anything.

And, like, for his age, he's...

He's 64 and all he's had wrong with him...he's so active.

Like, he looks after my kids every weekend,

a four-year-old and a one-year-old, running him ragged.

The ultrasound shows no bleeding in his stomach.

Resus Bed 2 takes Howard to his CT scan.

The next hour is critical.

The results will reveal if Howard's fall has led to

a potentially fatal bleed on his brain.

Queens Hospital in Romford has one of the largest maternity units

in the country.

The beds here see over 9,000 births a year.

Each one can take as little as two hours or more than three days.

Maternity Bed 7 is with 29-year-old Hayley.

She's determined to give birth naturally after having an

emergency Caesarean with their first child.

When is she coming out?

She'll come. She will.

-She has to!

-It doesn't feel like she's coming out.

She will be, trust me on that. Yeah, she is.

She isn't coming out right this moment, but...she will. OK?

Midwife Marn is with Hayley, who's been in labour for an hour.

Hayley has had one baby before.

That baby was delivered by Caesarean section ten years ago.

So today she is aiming to have a vaginal delivery. That's her plan.

I never wanted a Caesarean last time. I had no choice.

But then I was kind of glad because he was 10lbs 4oz, so...

Pushing that out, I imagine would be a bit of a...

A lot worse than what you are now!

She's really positive and focused for this today.

She seems to have a really good attitude.

She's been given the painkiller pethidine and is using gas and air

to get her through.

I feel like a Picasso painting. I feel like my mouth's going...

It's not, I promise!

I will tell you if your mouth starts to do that!

She's coping marvellously.

The breathing technique is fabulous with the gas and air.

So...

She's got herself into her own little zone now.

Smile again. Yeah.

'She's full of laughter despite, you know,

'she's in pain. She's got this theory'

about laughter is the best medicine, which is definitely working for her.

LAUGHTER

Hayley and her partner Aaron have been together for 18 months.

I've got a child from a previous relationship and so has she.

We've got a boy and a girl, so...

This is our first one together, yeah.

Because Hayley's first child was a Caesarean,

she faces extra risks with a natural birth.

'There's always a risk of scar rupture.'

-I'm not doing well.

-You are!

-You are!

'You're observing for signs of scar rupture all the time,

'and Mum's aware of that as well.'

She will tell us if she feels any tenderness or pain or

anything like that.

-Contraction!

-OK. Breathe.

'With the contractions,

'sometimes it's hard to tell if it's the scar or not.'

Obviously always, you will escalate.

You will let your senior colleague know and have

someone come to review her and the situation.

All right, all right.

SHE MOANS LOUDLY

I know you're feeling that pressure. Baby's head is very low, OK?

-I can't do this.

-You can.

-You can.

-I can't. I really can't do this.

My scar hurts...

Do you feel like there's a very strong pressure?

HAYLEY MOANS

If Hayley's Caesarean scar ruptures, her baby's life could be in danger.

It's my scar, my scar.

Bear with me, right?

Maternity Bed 7 is on standby to take Hayley to theatre

if she needs an emergency Caesarean.

I can't cope any more. I really, really can't.

I promise you, you are coping.

The Great North Children's Hospital in Newcastle

is the only dedicated paediatric centre in the UK

to have been rated as "outstanding" by the Care Quality Commission.

Hello, Paeds A&E?

Their paediatric A&E department has nine beds,

seeing almost 500 patients a week.

These beds are permanently on call to deal with emergencies,

from split heads, to allergies, to broken bones.

Fractured...

Paediatric Bed 27 is prepped and ready for its next patient.

Working alongside the beds today are Nurse Practitioner Aynsley

and Nurse Carmichael.

It's a very scary environment for a child to come in

and if you want them to be compliant and also be happy and not scared,

the best way is to try and make them as comfortable as possible.

It's just before lunchtime.

Bed 27 is about to meet two-year-old Mason and his mum Jessica.

Whee!

Wow! Where's that toy that we bought?

Mason was admitted to hospital recently with facial cellulitis.

There are signs it's come back.

Let's have a little look at your face, sweetheart.

-It's a toy?

-What? Yeah.

Cellulitis is a potentially dangerous infection

of the deeper layers of the skin.

I've just got a little pen,

so I'm just going to draw some little pointers

to where it is at the minute.

Mason, sweetheart, do you think you can sit still?

I'm going to draw on your face!

All the way back here.

Staff Nurse Carmichael draws a line around the affected area.

I don't think it really goes past your nose, then, does it?

Symptoms of cellulitis include red, hot and swollen skin.

If the redness crosses the line,

it's a sign the infection is spreading.

Obviously, if you notice it getting any bigger, just let us know.

But I will keep checking on him, obviously, and that's just...

Cellulitis can spread quickly and, if untreated,

can be life-threatening.

If Mason's cellulitis is severe,

he'll be given antibiotics intravenously.

Right, Mason, can I put some magic cream on your hands?

Then you can keep playing, can't you?

-Ooh!

-Ooh!

This cream will numb Mason's hand in preparation.

I'll put this big sticker on your hand.

MASON WHIMPERS

Oh, no, it's not sore, is it?

-Does it look a bit funny?

-It hurt.

-It hurts?

It's just a bit cold, sweetheart.

I will pop this round, we'll hide it, shall we?

We'll hide it.

Approximately 30% of all patients

who are treated for facial cellulitis see the infection return.

The first time he had it, he had quite, like,

quite a build-up, where his eye was all red.

And then last night, he was fine, there was no build-up,

and has just happened when he woke up.

The right side of his face swelled up and

he couldn't open his eye in the morning.

There we go. That's it. Well done.

Say bye.

-Bye!

-Good boy.

Nurse Practitioner Aynsley comes to examine Mason.

-Hello!

-Hiya.

What's been happening?

Last night, he was totally fine, nothing wrong. Then he just woke up.

-Woke up like this.

-Like, yeah, exactly like this.

Hey, little mister! Can I come and have a little look at your face?

Can we have a little look? Hiya!

Shall we have a little look

underneath that lovely bottle of milk of yours?

-Let's have a little look. Can you lift your head up for me?

-Do that.

Oh, well done!

What a good boy. Right, I'm quick to have a little feel of your neck, while you're like that.

HE BELCHES

Oh! That was a good one!

I'll go and speak to the paediatric team,

let them know it's quite swollen and red at the moment.

I'll ask them to come and have a little look.

Depending on the blood results,

they may think that he's OK just to start oral antibiotics

and hopefully we've caught it early enough.

Untreated cellulitis can also lead to blood poisoning.

We'll let you finish your milk in peace!

As I say, I'll go and speak to the team,

then I'll come back and let you know what's happening.

-OK.

-OK? See you soon! Do I get a wave?

-Say bye.

-Half a wave.

LAUGHTER

-Cool.

-Thank you.

Ooh...

SHE LAUGHS

It can be quite severe, so it can spread,

it can spread to the eye area,

it could spread into the lymph glands,

and it can particularly become quite serious quite quickly.

Mason will get a blood test which will determine the severity

of the infection that he's got at present

and we will determine from there

whether he needs oral antibiotics

or intravenous antibiotics.

-Hi! Is your name Mason?

-Hi, Mason, we're back!

Sister Jackson arrives to help take Mason's blood.

Hello!

Aww, it's a sad face now.

We're going to take them off.

-Shall we take your boxing gloves off?

-Shall we?

The anaesthetic cream on his hands should stop the needles

causing any pain.

Will you just kind of give him a little bit of support, Mum,

and then we'll get this done as quick as we can?

You can read a book if you want, with Mummy.

-Look, look at Mummy.

-MASON CRIES

I know, look at Mummy.

The bloods were very stressful.

At that age range, they can be quite squirmy.

Obviously they're scared, they don't know what's happening,

so sometimes it can be a little bit tricky.

Ideally, sometimes they're cuddled into Mum, helps a great deal,

but in the situation he actually sat quite still on the bed,

so that was good, a big bonus for us.

Look at Mummy, baby.

-Look at these teddy bears!

-Well done, Mum.

I was just going to ask.

-Ooh!

-Oh, don't move that one.

-Shall we move you a little bit?

-There you go.

-Come here.

Mason and mum Jessica will have to wait to find out

how severe the infection is...

..and if he'll have to be admitted for intravenous antibiotics.

In Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary,

it's been a busy shift on the A&E ward.

One of their most critical patients, Howard,

arrived on Resus Bed 2 half an hour ago after falling from a ladder.

Emergency department consultant Dr Voorhees, is taking him for

a CT scan to check for internal bleeding in the brain and abdomen.

He's getting scanned almost everything.

So that contains the head, chest and abdomen.

He hit his head on the way down, and also on the lower back.

He does have a large swelling on the back part of his head, so the

definite concerns are any bleed to the brain or inside the skull.

-So we are concerned about the back of the head?

-Back of the head.

-Pedicle lumbar junction.

-Right, MRI and the...

Howard has been in hospital before with brain aneurysms.

His previous history, so when you have an aneurysm,

so that's the blood vessel is weak,

that can increase the chance of having a second bleed in the brain.

Resus Bed 2 takes Howard back to his bay.

Howard has previously survived cancer and several strokes.

-Has he had any heart problems?

-No.

-About the only thing he hasn't had.

-Any kidney problems?

He's been unlucky, but he's been lucky as well because, well,

if he hadn't had the fits,

they wouldn't have found the aneurysms in his head.

And if he hadn't have had the strokes,

which resulted in him having the cholesterol test, they

wouldn't have found his blood count was low, which found the cancer.

And the doctor said to him, "If you hadn't had the..."

If they hadn't have found the cancer when they did,

it would have been too late, they wouldn't have been able to treat it.

-This is me most worrying bit.

-Hitting his head.

-Me head.

Whenever he hits his head, that's the big worry,

with him having the aneurysms.

Got two that were big enough to put a coil in, which is, like,

-to stop them bursting, I suppose.

-I suppose.

But then one of them was too small to fit the coil in,

so one of them's just free, sitting there.

Dr Voorhees is back with an update.

We have scanned your chest, tummy and pelvis, and the head.

They will officially report it in, er, probably one hour's time.

In the meantime, I will probably want to do some X-rays

because it's quite sore in here, isn't it?

-Yeah, that's where I banged it.

-All right, fine.

I need to get some X-rays of that hand, OK?

Howard will stay with Resus Bed 2

until the trauma team carries out further vital tests.

Birmingham has the youngest population in Europe,

with under-25s making up 40% of its residents.

Caring for the city's young and old is the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Can I borrow your bib tonight, Liz?

The day surgery unit has more than 80 beds.

They're with patients during some of the most vulnerable moments

in their life.

Right, I need to get mentally prepared for this.

Day Surgery Bed 41 is waiting for its next patient.

Hello, Rose, it's C Ward, how are you?

I'm just checking up on people that you need to sleep

so that I don't double claim.

19-year-old Bradley is having a third operation to repair

a fracture.

He broke a bone in his wrist two years ago after a fall.

I was playing football, I just landed on my wrist funny.

Bradley broke his scaphoid bone, the smallest in the wrist.

It's a fracture that can prove hard to heal.

There was a lot of visits here to get my wrist sorted.

My mum says that I have a...

I might as well have a loyalty card for the hospital cos I've

been here so much, and now this is hopefully the last-case

scenario where they take the bone out completely and put

a plate over, which should just get rid of the pain.

-Here we are.

-Cheers, thank you.

Surgeon Mr Tan will carry out the procedure today.

Repairing such a small bone will involve lengthy surgery.

Is it under regional or general?

-I'll actually put you to sleep.

-OK.

-The operation can take up to two hours.

-Right.

When you're getting towards two hours, if you're awake,

it starts to get a bit uncomfortable,

so that's probably the default is to put you to sleep.

We'll give you the block as well,

-so we'll say that you've got post-op priority.

-OK.

Tell you what, it'd be easier being left-handed.

-We're going to take that.

-OK, cool, all right, thanks.

Bradley calls his mum to let her know that

he won't be discharged tonight.

You all right?

So they're keeping me overnight because the pain is going to be

a lot more than it was when I last had my other op, and you know

how I just was aiming to just go home, they're not going to let that

happen this time cos of the distance I've got to go.

I'll ring you once I've woken up. All right, see you later.

Mum's the only one that I rely on.

I don't have a dad that's around,

so she's kind of done everything for me.

Just letting her know that I've got to stay overnight

so she hasn't got to travel up tonight.

Day Surgery Bed 41 takes Bradley to theatre.

Just want it over and done with, I'm nervous. I hate operations.

I've never been good with needles or operations.

You'd think that you'd get used to it after probably, what,

three or four times, but it never gets any easier.

I'm having the general so I'll be asleep for the operation

and, hopefully, I'll just wake up when it's all done.

Anaesthetist Dr Barrios is aiming for Bradley to wake up pain-free.

OK, what I'm about to inject might make your arm feel

a little bit cold and achy.

So if it gets uncomfortable just let me know and I'll slow down,

all right?

I'm going to target the nerves that supply the arm,

and we're going to target them at the armpit.

He's using an ultrasound machine to give him greater accuracy as

he administers a nerve block.

The next targets are up here at the top of the screen.

So you can see my block needle there.

You are blocking the production of painful stimuli from the hand

and the wrist to the brain, and that's the block done.

We're going to proceed to theatre and go ahead with the operation,

so the block needs a good 20 minutes to establish fully.

Bradley will stay on Bed 41 until the surgery begins.

Back in Newcastle, at the Great North Children's Hospital,

Bed 27 is empty.

Two-year-old Mason prefers the comfort of mum Jessica's knee.

She's concerned he's had a relapse of facial cellulitis,

a potentially life-threatening condition.

Do you think he could have facial cellulitis or...?

Yeah, quite possibly, yeah.

I mean, that's probably what it is, it's just a case of,

erm, ensuring that, you know, we're safe enough just to have the

oral antibiotics rather than going down the route of the

IV antibiotics like before.

You all right? What's that?

Without antibiotics, cellulitis can lead to serious complications

such as septicaemia or kidney damage.

Does that hurt? Don't look at it.

Mason may need to be admitted overnight for observations.

We have informed our coordinator to whether he might need admission,

so that bed needs to be booked quite quickly.

It can always be cancelled in the future if

he does go home on the antibiotics,

but generally we do book the beds sooner rather than later.

Dr Modneau has come to assess Mason.

Sorry, I was just going to say he could go for a wander,

-I think he's getting a bit bored in here.

-Ah!

Going to let the doctor come and see your face,

then you can go for your walk?

He's just like, "Nah, I'm outta here!"

-Sorry.

-Two minutes.

MASON CRIES

Mason's been with Paediatric Bed 27 in A&E for just over two hours.

Earlier, a line was drawn around the perimeter of the cellulitis

to monitor if the infection is spreading.

No, but is it contagious or not?

Usually, cellulitis is not infectious unless it's

something else. Erm, there are no signs that he has the bug elsewhere.

It looks like it's sort of around the face.

Erm, so, quite likely it's just in his face.

It's on the other side this time,

isn't it, and his left side of the face is actually starting to...

become red as well. Is that something new or...?

-That's, that was all today.

-That was all today.

Everything that you're saying now has all just started. Thank you.

Dr Modneau's examination confirms Mason's infection is getting worse.

-Are you hiding?

-No!

I can still see you.

Unfortunately, it's started to spread a bit more,

he's got a little bit more redness,

and his left eye is now starting to become a bit more puffy.

He, erm, is otherwise still quite well in himself, but the doctors are

concerned regarding the swelling, so he's going to be admitted.

His blood results will come back OK,

but there's still the concern of the spreading cellulitis.

Right, Mum, shall we take him down the bottom there?

Mason and mum Jessica head to the assessment unit

for further monitoring.

Paediatric Bed 27 is cleaned up, ready for the next patient.

Next door, in the A&E department of

Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary,

Resus Bed 2 is with 64-year-old decorator Howard.

Right, your address is...?

He's fallen off a ladder at work and banged his head on a work surface.

Doctors are concerned he may have a bleed on the brain

and multiple broken bones.

I think you'd get more than that.

I've been paying National Insurance 30, 40 year, 50 year.

I think you get more than your money's worth.

He's already had a CT scan to check if he has brain damage.

Hiya, mate, just going through for some X-rays, all right?

-Just in that room behind me.

-Ta-rah.

-Bye. Have fun.

Going to bring this round,

I need to pop this in behind your back, all right?

Can you lean forward a little bit for me? That's the one.

Due to Howard's serious injuries,

the X-ray of his chest and back are carried out on Resus Bed 2.

I think this'll be the last one where the doctor's going to

have a look and see what they think, you know.

I've been through that much, and, just get up and do it again.

Daughter Jen is with Howard.

Everything he's had wrong with him,

he's never, ever been down about it, he's never been bitter.

I've seen him cry once when the first thing happened,

when he had his strokes, because he was apologising, saying sorry,

that he felt like he'd let we down.

And obviously we said that he hadn't.

But since then, he's just got... He's just been so strong.

An hour after being admitted,

the results are back from Howard's CT scan.

It's OK, isn't it?

Yeah, looks all right, actually. They're certain findings...

-No problem, thank you.

-Thank you.

He's just been, know what I mean, and, er, done the full scans

and that, you know, said that everything was all right.

So, like, with the brain.

-So it looks as though I'm going to be all right.

-Again.

Doctor Voorhees has news.

So, looks like, erm, there is a fracture on the back.

You have got a rib fracture on the left side.

So that's the reason you're getting admitted to the hospital

for pain management.

So he's got a fracture on the back?

On the back, and then he has got a fracture on the ribs as well. OK?

So he's just being admitted...

-For pain management.

-Is his elbow OK?

-Yeah.

-So how long will he be in for, do you know?

-Maybe two or three days.

-OK?

-That's fine, thank you very much.

-Thank you.

With a broken vertebrae and ribs,

Howard faces a longer stay in hospital to recover.

It's a shame, you know,

but may as well stay in and get it looked at, probably.

We'll just wrap some bubble wrap round you.

You'll be fine.

Resus Bed 2 will stay with him

until a bed on the ward becomes available.

-Shorts, T-shirt.

-Shorts, T-shirt.

-Socks.

-Huh?

-Got your slippers?

At Queen's Hospital in Romford,

Maternity Bed 7 is with 29-year-old Hayley.

She's been in labour for five hours.

There's still no baby!

Midwife Marne was concerned Hayley's Caesarean scar

from her first birth was tearing.

Oh, it's got to be almost done now.

She's now in the final stages of labour,

and the danger has subsided.

If only it was that easy. Come on.

I have been where you are.

Never would I call this easy.

-She's not letting go, is she? At all.

-I had to rearrange the hand.

If you break his hand, he's won't be able to change the nappies.

Can I have the gas and air then?

-Remember that.

-HAYLEY PANTS

The baby's head is just sitting there now.

-Oh, please, get her out of me.

-She's coming.

-I can't.

-You can.

-Please.

-It's all right.

-Doing well.

-HAYLEY MOANS

She's only got one way out now.

I want this baby out.

I know. I know.

When they're coming up ready to deliver,

a lot of women will feel that they can't do it.

Whereas they thought before, "I'm coping quite well,"

all of a sudden now she's feeling like,

"I'm not able to do it,"

and it's classic for someone to just say,

"Oh, please, just pull the baby out. Take it away."

The baby's head is just here.

-HAYLEY MOANS

-You can tell her now, Aaron.

-And again.

-It's right there.

-Come on. Push.

Midwife Yasmin is also helping to deliver Hayley's baby.

You're doing this. Nice deep breaths.

You're going to blow the baby out. Working together now, yeah?

HAYLEY SCREAMS

BABY CRIES

We have a baby.

Hello, cutie pie. Welcome to the world.

Hayley and Aaron's daughter is born naturally,

just as they wanted.

She is gorgeous.

-Look at you!

-Beautiful!

They've already chosen a name - Ella-Louise.

Well done, Hayley.

The average baby girl weighs around 7lb, 4oz.

Ella-Louise is a healthy 9lb and 5oz.

-Aw. That's so cute.

-You can keep her for a little while.

She's a beauty. Is that a hand-knitted hat?

I think your sister done this one.

Yeah, it's gorgeous. What a pretty little thing.

Oh, hello.

-It was you, was it?

-BABY CRIES, LAUGHTER

She's like, "Oh, that annoying voice.

"Put me back!"

Let's let you sit up a little bit, actually.

It's nearly an hour since Ella-Louise was born...

Is it painful?

..but she's now suffering serious complications.

Is it stinging or is it your tummy? Are you feeling it contract?

Hayley still hasn't delivered her placenta.

Just give it one more go, sweetheart.

If any part of the placenta remains in the womb,

there's a risk of haemorrhaging.

Just keep taking the gas.

Hayley, see if you can just give us a push.

-Hayley...

-Yeah?

-..push down like you did with baby.

Push down, yeah? Go on. You can do it.

And you can't feel it at all?

If it's not delivered soon,

the placenta will have to be removed by a surgeon

under general anaesthetic.

Cos if it doesn't come, we might have to intervene -

as in the doctors might need to try and remove it.

You would need to go to the theatre to have that done.

-Oh!

-I know.

See if you can give me a push, Hayley.

I am trying. Ah!

I know you're trying. I know you are.

See if you can give me one big push.

OK. All right.

We've waited an hour for the placenta to come,

but cos it's not advancing now,

we're going to take her into theatre and we're going to try

to manually remove her placenta.

Hi, Gladys. It's Nadia from Labour Ward.

Just to be on the safer side, we don't want to keep it any longer.

Dad Aaron and baby Ella-Louise stay together

as Bed 7 takes Hayley to theatre for surgery.

Ready, steady, slide.

Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

19-year-old Bradley has been separated from Day Surgery Bed 41.

He's been operated on by Mr Tan.

So, what this operation is now

is this scaphoid obviously hasn't healed

and sort of just generating in time,

so we've taken out the whole of that bone.

Bradley is having a plate and screws inserted into his wrist

to replace a broken bone in his hand.

After three hours in surgery,

Bradley comes round back on Surgery Day Bed 41.

The first thing he does is call his mum.

-I'm alive.

-HE CHUCKLES

I came around about 4:45.

Apparently, everything went well.

I've had water. I've literally drank...

I drank, like, a litre of water already,

but I need a massive wee and I've got to pee in a bottle.

I'm in a half cast at the moment. All right, I'll see you later.

All right. Bye-bye.

I've got two brothers and a sister. I'm the oldest out of all of them.

My mum has had to single-handedly look after all four of us

for the last nine or ten years, so...yeah, stressful.

Bradley will be in plaster for six to eight weeks

while he recovers.

He's transferred to another ward where his pain levels

will be monitored and treated overnight.

The shift comes to an end for Day Surgery Bed 41.

It's prepped and ready for its next patient tomorrow.

In Romford, at the Queen's Hospital,

Bed 7 and midwife Yasmin are taking 29-year-old Hayley into theatre.

She's given birth to a healthy baby girl,

but she's now suffering serious complications.

-SHE MOANS

-Are you OK?

-Still in a lot of pain?

-Sorry.

-That's all right, darling.

That's fine. You're trying, at least.

Normally, the placenta is delivered within 60 minutes,

but two hours after giving birth,

Hayley's placenta is still attached.

It needs to be surgically removed.

If it's not, Hayley could haemorrhage.

There's a risk of increased bleeding.

She could have a haemorrhage.

Also can lead to infection and things like that.

Right.

Are you more comfortable at all? There is one more pillow.

-How about that?

-HAYLEY MOANS

Hayley, I'm just going to quickly go and get your baby

and put your baby there so I can do the baby checks

when they're sorting you out, OK? I'll be back very shortly.

Baby Ella-Louise is brought to theatre to be close to her mum,

leaving father Aaron alone.

BABY CRIES

Hayley is in severe pain and opts to be put under general anaesthetic.

Um...

Just as the procedure is about to start, nature intervenes.

-Fell out.

-Oh, did it?

With all the movement

and trying to get all the general anaesthetic sorted,

by the time we actually got it all sorted,

the placenta literally just delivered.

Yeah. Which happens.

Which also happens sometimes as well.

Maternity Bed 7 takes Hayley back to be reunited with her family.

Her observations are completely stable now.

It's just for the general anaesthesia

to start wearing off a little bit and she'll feel fine.

24 hours later, and Hayley's son Jamie and Aaron's daughter Macy

and meeting their new sister.

Very sweet.

Tired, but good.

It was definitely surreal

and probably not one that I would repeat again.

Yeah, just can't wait to go home now.

-You don't want no more, do you? No.

-SHE LAUGHS

And if another one does come and it's a boy,

then the odds will be even.

They will be, but there's no more coming.

-We won't fit in the car.

-No.

Our hospital beds have given us intimate access

to the work of the NHS.

Howard was kept in hospital for a week with his broken ribs

and vertebrae.

He's already back painting and decorating.

Young Mason had 24 hours of intravenous antibiotics.

The swelling on his face has now cleared.

Four weeks on and Bradley's hand is healing.

He should soon be able to use it pain-free.

And baby Ella-Louise is now home with parents Hayley and Aaron.

The beds are now back on their wards,

ready and waiting for their next round of patients.