Episode 2 Secret Life of the Hospital Bed

Hospital beds in the NHS have never been under more pressure...

It's just unrelenting at the moment.

..with more patients to care for than ever before,

and only 150,000 beds to go round.

It is a fast-paced job. It's a non-stopping conveyor belt.

In this series,

we use special cameras on beds in four very different hospitals.

Comfy bed.

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

Left at the lights.

SHE SOBS ..and share the most challenging...

SHE SIGHS

Oh, it's coming again.

Don't get upset. We'll look after you, OK?

Are you OK, pet?

..most intimate...

That's good.

..and most rewarding moments of our lives.

So, so happy.

Coming up...

In Newcastle, on A&E bed nine,

there are fears 79-year-old Maria may have broken her nose.

-Hi.

-Oh, you've done a good job.

-Isn't it wonderful?

Like a raccoon.

-In't it awful?

-It's all right. It'll go. It'll fix.

On paediatric bed 30,

eight-year-old Mason needs to undergo a series of tests.

When I had my seizure,

I couldn't even remember who me ma was or who me teddies were.

Basil...

..and Storm.

And in Birmingham, on day surgery bed 52, 63-year-old Eddie faces surgery.

One big snip and you're in then you're out.

-A what?

-A snip and you're out.

A snip and you're out!

Your bed's like an extra member of staff, almost.

This is The Secret Life Of The Hospital Bed.

In the heart of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne lies the Royal Victoria Infirmary.

The hospital's accident and emergency department sees

more than 2,000 people a week.

At the minute, there aren't any beds next door.

There is movement next door and I think there's about 20 beds in the system, so expect movement.

It's a busy environment, where the needs of patients take priority.

So it's about patient care, really, as opposed to beds.

I mean, it's important that we move patients on because we have other patients coming in

but the actual care here is the most important thing.

A&E bed nine is prepped, ready for its next patient.

It's one o'clock and 79-year-old Maria is shown to her bed.

She's had a bad fall and may have broken her nose.

-Shall I put that there?

-There aren't many people as short as me.

Did you tell them where you were when you fell?

Coming out of a pub.

-Out of a pub?

-Yes, but I wasn't drinking,

it was the Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society.

Aah, right.

You haven't been drinking anything?

No, I don't drink when I'm out.

Just when you're in?

On a Saturday night.

It's the only time I drink.

Across the UK, one-fifth of all those admitted to A&E

are 65 or older.

Maria will be one of up to eight patients

Nurse Wilson will care for today.

I have a bad back.

-That's better, thank you.

-Is that grand?

-Yeah.

I'll pop the side up.

-Just for safety.

-I'm not going to fall out.

You've already had one fall, I'd be mortified if you had another.

-Can you imagine?

-It looks as if I'm pathetic.

It's a safety thing. I can put it down if you want.

Oh, all right. No.

Go along with what you want.

She's lovely, dead sweet.

I used to look after older people when I worked for an agency

and I worked around lots of different care homes,

and they're belter craic, always belter craic.

The best.

HE LAUGHS

Maria's injuries will be examined by Dr Minhaz,

who has been practising medicine for more than five years.

-Good morning. Sorry, it's good afternoon.

-It's afternoon now.

-Sorry!

How are you today?

I'm fine, but a little...er...

worse for wear.

What happened?

I was at the Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society meeting

and I was leaving.

It's in a pub, but I hadn't been drinking.

And I missed a step and fell flat on my nose.

I didn't break my glasses, but this is what's happened.

They wanted me to come last night and I wouldn't.

What other health issues do you have?

High blood pressure, problems with my eyes,

I've got glaucoma beginning to come in this one.

-OK. And it's on the right side?

-Yes.

One in ten people of Maria's age develop glaucoma,

a condition that causes gradual loss of sight and can lead to blindness.

Dr Minhaz will check that the fall hasn't aggravated her condition

and also find out if her nose is broken.

Is it tender when I touch it?

No, you're very gentle.

HE CHUCKLES

When you had this episode, you didn't lose consciousness

-or anything like that?

-No.

-You didn't vomit after it?

No, and I wasn't dizzy. No.

What I'm going to do is I'm going and talk to the maxillary people

to see whether they want to come and see you,

do they want to have x-rays done before they see you?

-So, I'll just go and talk to them and then I'll come back.

-Right. OK.

Maria will be with A&E bed nine

until she's received a full diagnosis and treatment.

Sister Hill is the nurse in charge today.

She will ensure Maria's stay is a comfortable one

while she waits for her results.

-Hello.

-Hi.

Oh, you have done a good job!

Isn't it wonderful?

Like a racoon!

-In't it awful?

-It's all right. It'll go. It'll fix.

Do you take warfarin?

-No.

-No blood thinners?

-No.

-Want a cup of tea, then?

Oh, how wonderful.

-Milk?

-No sugar.

-Milk, no sugar.

-How kind you are.

I'll you what, I'd like to go to the loo.

Howay, then.

Don't be falling again!

I've been using those steps to get in.

Cos I'm only little!

Come on!

When is your baby due?

December.

-Wonderful.

-A bit longer.

We'll return to Maria and A&E bed nine later,

to find out if she has broken her nose.

The maternity unit at the Queen's Hospital in Romford, Essex,

is one of the largest in the country

with 25 beds in specially designed suites.

Welcome to the world!

Hello!

Happy birthday to you!

Hello, Mummy. You're amazing.

Every week, it welcomes over 170 newborn babies into the world.

This is maternity bed seven.

Its patient, 36-year-old Tori,

has chosen to have a Caesarean after a traumatic first birth.

With husband Russ by her side,

she'll be under the watchful eye of midwife Ingram,

until it's time to go to surgery.

-I'm one of the doctors for the day.

-Hiya.

-Hiya.

-Good to meet you.

What happened the previous time?

Erm, just failed induction.

It was three days.

You had all the tablets?

Yeah, they did all the pessaries, they tried to break my waters

but told me my cervix hadn't opened

so they decided to go for a C-section.

-Blood pressure was fine throughout the pregnancy?

-Yeah, it was fine.

-Having a boy or a girl?

-Don't know.

-Don't know.

-Big surprise, then.

-Yeah.

-What do you have at home?

-BOTH:

-A little girl.

You might want a boy or a girl?

As long as they are healthy, I don't mind.

Do not many patients keep it a surprise any more?

-No.

-Really?

-Very few of them.

-Right, OK.

The first time we saw the midwife when we had Katie,

they were surprised we were married.

Yeah, true.

More than 2,500 Caesareans

are performed at this maternity unit every year.

It's 1pm.

Tori and Russ have been with bed seven for an hour and a half.

We met on plentyoffish.com.

It's strange, because we had both come out of relationships

where we were both due to get married.

Yeah, both started getting venues and things like that

and it all went a bit south and then,

we got together in November 2011.

And yeah, when you find the right one, you find the right one.

Are you making sure I look presentable?

There's no way of looking presentable on a hospital bed,

I don't think.

How dare you!

I wonder how often they get changed?

Bearing in mind how many people...

-What? The actual bed itself?

-Yeah.

-Or the stuff on it?

-Well, no, just bearing in mind, like...

How many people have delivered babies on this bed?

I imagine they are built to last quite a while,

they're all metal framed.

Tori was in labour for three days with their first child but this time

she's decided on a Caesarean

and is hoping to give birth within an hour.

The Great North Children's Hospital in Newcastle is one of 14 specialist

paediatric centres across the UK.

There are more than 240 beds here

and bed 30 is home to eight-year-old Mason.

He was rushed into A&E three days ago with mum Michaela.

He's now been transferred to the ward

for further tests and observation.

Hello, Becky speaking.

Hello, it's Clem. Paeds coordinator. Oh, hello.

For the last four years,

Mason has been treated for benign hyper cranial tension -

pressure on the brain.

I've had it since I was four.

This time, his condition seems much worse.

It was about ten o'clock in the morning, he started to have a seizure.

The seizure lasted for about eight minutes.

It was absolutely terrifying.

I just froze. I didn't know what to do. His eyes were rolling back,

he was dead unresponsive and started to forget things after that.

So it was distressing for him as well,

because he couldn't remember people in the family,

he couldn't remember me.

When I had my seizure, I didn't remember a thing.

Couldn't even remember who my ma was or who my teddies were.

Basil and Storm.

He gets headaches and that's part of his condition, is the headaches,

but the seizures are new, he's never had a seizure before.

One in 20 of us will experience a seizure during our lifetime.

They can be triggered by stress, excitement or a lack of sleep.

It's Mason's first attack but with continuous pressure on his brain,

he is a familiar face at this hospital.

He's been on anaesthetic eight times.

It's horrendous. He's only eight.

He's been through a lot more than what adults go through in a lifetime.

He's had it in the last four years.

I don't like hospital beds better than my bed,

because they don't, like, have as much comfy pillows as mine.

These pillows are like, no fluff.

There's no fluff.

Mason might not like bed 30, but he loves the food.

I've got spaghetti bolognese and roast potatoes and it's really nice.

It's a lot better than my mum's.

While Mason has been in hospital, he's undergone a series of tests.

There's one more left and it could prove crucial.

I'm actually waiting for a scan for my head.

We're just waiting for an MRI scan for Mason's head

to find out if there's anything there that's causing the seizures.

We don't know if his condition is getting worse

or if there's something else contributing to it.

Until we have the MRI, we won't know.

I'll be more worried than Mason.

I think Mason takes it in his stride, don't you?

We'll follow Mason as his MRI scan reveals what's been going

wrong with his brain.

Back in Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary,

bed nine is with 79-year-old Maria, who has a suspected broken nose.

She is being cared for in A&E by Sister Hill.

So the doctor has assessed her and given such facial bruising

and tenderness, the doctor wants to refer her for an X-ray,

so she's going to go around to the X-ray department,

they'll take the X-ray views and when she returns,

we'll have a look at them.

They come on the system immediately so we'll be able to know if there's

any fractures, and depending whether there is a fracture will depend on our management plan.

Maria is worried that her worsening eyesight

may have caused her fall and could threaten her independence.

There's a lot I couldn't do if I was blind, so...

All my hobbies are all looking at things,

so it would be very debilitating for me.

I'm worried in case they say, "Don't drive for a bit."

I'll have to get taxis, because I'm not staying in.

60% of women over 75 live alone.

Before Maria is discharged,

the A&E team must be confident that she can look after herself at home.

-Hello.

-Hello.

Hello, I thought I'd come to see you and see what's going on.

-Not very pretty, is it?

-Oh, you look fine.

THEY LAUGH

-Is that a fact?

-So, all of this...

Has come this morning.

-Has come this morning.

-It wasn't like that last night.

If I'd have seen that last night, I think I would've come.

So, who brought you in this morning?

I came by taxi.

And when you go home, is there someone in the house with you?

No, I live on my own. My husband died four months ago.

-Sorry to hear that.

-It's all right.

He had Alzheimer's and it was a blessing that he died,

because he had been ill ten and a half years.

-Just a living death.

-You can lose people twice, you know.

You lose them once with the disease and you lose them again, when you lose them.

I was pleased for him that he died, because it wasn't him.

He didn't know me for the last three months.

He didn't know whether I was his wife,

his mother or one of the care assistants.

Awful. I used to sit and cry in the car park.

But he was a lovely man, he really was.

Such a shame. He didn't deserve to be like that, but there we are.

We can't pick and choose, can we?

-We can't.

-No. Sorry.

Quite emotional about him.

-I'll get you a tissue, darling.

-I'm fine. I'm fine.

Just give me one. I don't want any more. I'm not going to cry again.

RADIO CALLS

That was them calling for me.

I'll leave these with you. All right?

If you want for anything, press that button.

The big orange bit in the middle.

I won't need that, will I?

-No, but if you want anything, give me a shout.

-Thank you.

Beds in the hospital essentially see everyone's secrets,

everyone's tales, and everyone's stories.

They see everything.

Nothing gets past the beds.

Coming up on The Secret Life Of The Hospital Bed...

In Birmingham, on day surgery bed 52,

63-year-old Eddie gets ready for a hernia operation.

Can you pull 'em up?

Blimey.

They really are tight.

I feel like Nora Batty.

In Newcastle, on paediatric bed 30,

eight-year-old Mason and his mum Michaela wait for answers.

Don't know if there's any damage, or if the pressure on it is high.

Hopefully we'll get that today once we get his MRI.

And on A&E bed nine, 79-year-old Maria charms the staff.

In't hospitals wonderful?

Does it make you feel good that you've done that for me today?

Back at Queen's Hospital Maternity Unit in Romford, Essex...

On bed seven is mum-to-be Tori and her husband Russ.

-Gone quiet.

-Something like that.

Calm before the storm.

A difficult first birth two years ago meant Tori had to undergo

an emergency Caesarean.

To avoid a repeat this time, she's scheduled an elective C-section.

I think some people have got a view where it's...

you know, you're not a real woman unless you've had a natural birth,

and I just don't believe that, because as far as I'm concerned,

-surgery is still...

-Traumatic.

-..quite a big deal to go through

and, you know, I think the most important thing to remember,

same with the breast-feeding, is that it's what's best for baby.

There's a bit of pressure on, "Oh, we should have a natural birth,"

but I think it's one of those things.

As long as the baby's born and the baby's healthy,

that's all that matters. If we look back through those pictures again...

The UK has seen a rise in families with two or more children.

Big changes are looming for Tori and Russ and they're anxious about

the impact on their two-year-old daughter, Katie.

'Hi, Mummy.'

-Hello, Katie.

-Hi, Katie.

-Are you being a good girl?

-'Where's Daddy?'

-Hello, Katie. Are you being good girl for Nanny?

-'Yes.'

-Good.

-All right, well, we'll see you soon.

'See you soon.'

-Yeah, with your baby brother or sister.

-'Yeah.'

Yes, because we're at the hospital.

-'Yeah.'

-All right, well, we love you.

-Love you.

-'Love you.'

See you later, baby. Bye.

That is one of the biggest unknowns we've got,

how Katie is going to react, because she's been...

Some mornings she'll stroke Tori's belly and she'll give it a kiss

and talk to it and other mornings you'd say it

and she'll go, "No, no!"

Is it going to be a boy or a girl?

"No." It was going to be Hulk at one moment, wasn't it?

It was, yes.

And what we've been told, the toddler tends to bond to the partner

a lot more because Mummy's got a baby.

Become more of a Daddy's girl.

-You need to become a bit more understanding.

-Yeah.

-I know it's something you've been a bit worried about, haven't you?

-Yeah.

It's been emotional.

Yeah, not wanting Mummy any more would be a bit...

She'll never not want Mummy.

-No, I know.

-But, yes, you can understand it.

It's just that having to share.

She shares with other kids all right, mostly.

-Mostly.

-From what I've seen.

I just hope she's all right.

-Did you just see that?

-Yeah, I saw that.

It was like, knock, knock, come out!

We'll rejoin Tori and Russ later when their slot in the busy

operating theatre finally arrives.

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

eight-year-old Mason is on bed 30.

He's waiting for the results of an MRI scan with mum Michaela.

Mason looks better today than what he has the last week.

I'm feeling as fresh as a dandelion.

Mason has an existing condition.

benign hyper cranial tension, which causes pressure to build up in his brain.

Admitted to hospital following a seizure,

his parents are worried that his condition is getting worse.

Don't know if there's any damage on the brain or the pressure is high.

Hopefully we'll get that today once we get his MRI.

He looks good to me right now.

Doctor Ramesh is Mason's consultant.

He has news about the scan.

I don't think it's pressure related.

This is my clinical impression.

I don't think it was an epileptic seizure.

We have explored that.

He's had a scan of his brain and it looks completely normal.

Doctor Ramesh can find nothing wrong with Mason's brain.

He has his own explanation for the seizure.

All through the night, a child who has been poorly,

who stayed awake and has gone off to bed,

collapsed and had an attack is because of not enough sleep.

That's the interpretation I am putting on it now.

Medicine is not black and white, man.

Newcastle United colours are black and white.

But medicine is not like that.

There are lots of grey areas in medicine.

Whilst it's a relief to hear that Mason is OK, his parents are still

worried that they may miss any warning signs in the future.

Mason doesn't complain and he will still get up and do whatever

he needs to do, but his dad's like that.

He's had more accidents than I don't know what.

She just worries.

I worry as well, obviously, but if you are saying he's going to be

fine, I'm happy with that.

Mason looks well.

All our assessments are normal.

I'm suggesting we wait and monitor the situation.

I'm going to be seeing him in my outpatient clinic

in another three weeks' time.

I think Mason would like to go home

and I'm going to be sending him home today.

Obviously relieved and hopefully he'll get back to his normal self.

Hyper mood.

Your normal daft self.

Daft self? You're going all shy because you haven't got

-your hat on now, aren't you?

-It's not, son.

You've gone all quiet.

I'm happy about the news. Obviously, it's less worrying.

We'll just have to take it from there and take him home.

Observe him and just bring him back if anything else happens.

Yes, we want to go home now.

Home, sweet home.

It's time for Mason to leave.

After three nights in hospital, he's off home. Bed 30 is free.

In Birmingham,

the Queen Elizabeth Hospital's day surgery is the largest in Europe,

dealing with up to 100 patients every day.

The beds here work a different shift to most in the NHS.

They get to rest overnight.

But between the hours of 8am and 8pm,

they're hard at work with scheduled procedures.

This is Bed 52.

Its next patient is coming in for a hernia operation.

63-year-old security guard Eddie has brought girlfriend of 11 months,

Shirley, for support.

This has been going on for ages now.

And he's grinned and beared it, as they say.

And I kept moaning at him about,

"You've got to go and get it sorted!"

And here we are.

It's going to be sorted now.

It's only a minor operation.

One big snip, and you're in and you're out.

-A what?

-A snip, and you're out.

-A snip and you're out!

-Yeah!

-THEY LAUGH

We do laugh an awful, awful lot.

I've never known anything like it.

And he giggles all the time. He's a real giggler.

We keep saying to each other,

"Have we really only been together 11 months?"

It is a good job, darling, you met me.

What would you do now?

I don't know. Probably just be plodding along as it is, you know.

-Are you a happy bunny?

-I'm very happy.

-Are you?

-I'm very happy with you, darling.

Yeah. Always.

We're like a pair of old shoes!

We've got lots to look forward to, so we've got to get him mended now,

so that we can actually do things.

Together.

Do you think I can ask them to take some of these off while you're at it?

-No!

-Just a bit of skin off that.

Leave them alone.

-Are you sure?

-They're staying on!

You can have the inside, but you can't have the outside!

For most operations,

patients need to wear special socks to protect against blood clots

forming in their legs.

Here you go. Do you want to pop these on to cover your lovely tattoos?

-He's got fat legs!

-Hey!

Can you do it yourself?

At least they're not the horrible white ones they used to use.

THEY LAUGH

-Here.

-Can you pull them up?

Blimey!

-They really are tight.

-Where have they got to get to?

-HE LAUGHS

-I feel like Nora Batty!

Bed 52 has now seen it all.

Eddie, or is it Nora Batty, is ready for his operation.

His bed's next job is to carry him more than 250 metres to theatre.

I think the operation will be fine.

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

and how he's going to deal with it.

You've really got to take it easy, OK?

Yeah, but...

No buts. You've got to do it.

But! But! But!

No buts. You've got to remember you're 63.

And the surgeon said if he was 85, he wouldn't even do it.

Bed 52 and Eddie are on the move.

Say goodbye.

But first, a quick kiss...

-Bye, sweetie.

-See you.

..or two.

-See you soon, OK.

-See you in a bit.

-All right. See you later.

Chin up. All right, bye.

We'll return to them later.

Back at the A&E Department of Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary.

An hour after being admitted,

79-year-old Maria is returning to bed nine.

My hair's a mess.

I could have combed it.

Your face.

Are we going to tell your daughter?

-No.

-Sure?

No, she's teaching.

I was going to do that this morning and I thought, well,

she goes to work at seven in the morning.

Can I swing my legs over here while I drink my tea?

-Thank you.

-I'll be back in a minute, my love.

A lot of elderly patients, they don't like to bother people.

They don't like to feel like they're being a pest or creating

extra work for you, so they tend to not...

You've got to often stress it's really not a problem,

it's, you know, it's part of our job and we're happy to ring.

That lady has got capacity, she's alert, she's orientated,

she can make the decision for herself.

I've offered her several times and she really is adamant that she

doesn't want to bother her daughter at the moment, so, really,

as long as we document that, we've got to be satisfied with her wishes.

I've had my fair share of hospitals and you only come if you have to.

I don't go to the doctor unnecessarily, either.

That's the way we were brought up.

It's not somewhere I want to hang about.

-Maria?

-Hello.

-You're going to go round for an X-ray.

-Really?

Do you want to just go on the bed?

No! Course not.

Are you sure?

-I'm positive.

-OK, wait there, then.

Maria doesn't want to go on the bed to X-ray, because she's

so independent, which is brilliant.

We'll get a porter to take her with a chair.

I can walk.

For now, Maria leaves bed nine behind

as she heads to the X-ray Department.

Can I get you to have a seat in this chair for me?

-Do you want my glasses off?

-Yes, please.

Right, chin right up for me and I'm going to push you forward so your

chin's going to touch the board. That's it, that's lovely.

The test will quickly reveal

the extent of the damage caused to Maria's face.

It will also show if she's fractured any bones.

-We'll get you back round, all right?

-Thank you.

-Lift your feet.

-There you go.

-Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Hello again...

Maria will soon find out just how badly she's damaged her face.

How many miles do you walk in a day?

That depends. As little as possible if I can help it.

Back on the maternity ward of Queen's Hospital in Romford,

maternity bed seven is with expectant mother Tori

and her husband Russ.

A little bit nervous now.

Following a difficult birth with their first child,

Tori has opted for an elective Caesarean.

Moving about a bit. I think they're coming up, they know.

"No, I'm not ready!"

In the UK, one in four births are delivered by Caesarean.

-Ready?

-Hello.

She's very ready, I think.

Not many mums wait to find out the sex of their baby,

-but Tori is one of the few.

-You'll be fine.

Don't be nervous, you'll be fine.

Let's go, darling.

Tori is transferred to the surgery bed.

She's given an epidural injection to numb the nerves in the lower part

-of her body.

-Just relax, now.

Can you feel that, Victoria?

-You're still smiling, which is good.

-Yes.

There we go.

Just 20 minutes later, their baby is born.

There we go. Lovely. A little girl. It's a little girl.

It's another daughter.

-There we go.

-Hello, little lady.

-There we go.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you.

I think a lot of people are afraid when they hear that they might have

to have a C-section, but if you get great staff

and that nice environment that kind of puts you at ease,

it's not that bad.

It's been a little bit easier this time, because it hasn't been days,

it's just been hours. Even so, it gets to that point when you want to

get done and dusted and you want to see them.

It's been nine months cooking.

You just want them out.

This morning, I couldn't imagine her

and now I can't not... imagine her being here.

The birth went as planned.

Tori and Russ are now hoping the first meeting with big sister

-Katie goes as well.

-Hello, Katie.

Look, a baby.

Say hello, Lucy.

It's all lots going on, isn't it?

It's OK. Look, there's Lucy.

'Very interesting.

'New patterns. It'll be the same.'

It's amazing how much of a spit she is of her older sister, so, yes,

looking forward to some interesting times ahead.

Yeah, very excited.

For bed number seven at the Queen's Maternity Hospital,

this day is just like any other.

By 4pm, it's ready and waiting for its next expectant mother.

Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Back in day surgery, Eddie has left bed 52 for the operating table

to have his hernia sorted.

It's an operation that new girlfriend Shirley

hopes will take their relationship to another level.

There's lots of places I want to take him.

He's never seen anything in this country.

He never had a passport.

We had to go and get a passport.

I'm really looking forward to him being in good health again now.

I keep looking at my watch.

Bed 52 is back.

Hello, darling.

Here we go. Safe and sound.

Bye-bye.

-You all right, darling?

-Hello, babe.

-How do you...

-All good in the hood!

How do you feel?

Aches a bit, but it's going to at first, isn't it?

Thank you for being here.

I wouldn't have been anywhere else.

I know.

Yeah.

Then as we go up, pull yourself up.

-Yeah, that's great.

-OK?

-Yeah.

Eddie really wants to leave bed 52.

But before he can, he's got to eat, drink and go to the toilet,

so doctors can be sure his body is working again properly.

'I don't like hospitals. I don't like being in hospitals.

'The sooner I can get away, I'll feel a lot better then.'

Me mouth's so dry.

-Just drink!

-It's dry.

'I just hope he can actually walk out of here,

'cos that's what he wants to do.

'He wants to go home tonight.

'He's so intent on going home tonight.'

You just need to eat, and go to the toilet.

But Eddie's struggling.

Two hours since his surgery, and he still hasn't managed to pass urine.

-OK?

-OK.

-We just need to tick that box.

-OK.

-Else I can't discharge you.

If Eddie doesn't manage to go soon,

he'll be moved from bed 52

to a bed on the ward, where he'll have to spend the night.

'I tried to say to him, before we came in,

'"Don't get too upset if you have to stay in."

'I said, "I'll come and get you in the morning."

'But he's got this thing about hospitals,

'and he doesn't want to stay in.'

Although Eddie is getting himself dressed,

he still hasn't managed to go to the toilet.

Not got the urge to go to the loo?

No?

I can't just force myself to go.

This closes at eight o'clock.

They'll have to find you a bed in the ward somewhere.

-So you've got to try!

-Guess it can't be helped.

Do you want any more to drink?

With three hours of drinking water behind him,

Eddie makes a tentative move to the loo.

-Do you want me to get out the way?

-Yeah.

Which way's he got to go? Andy, which way's he got to go?

Just down there.

Down there? Go on, then. Off you go.

-Did you go?

-Yes!

-You've been?

-Did it. Did it!

-Did it.

Success at last.

Bed 52 can finally move on.

And Eddie and Shirley can head home

to start making plans for the future.

-Thanks very much.

-Got your parole.

-Thank you.

Got your parole. Thanks very much. Thank you.

Back at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary,

79-year-old Maria

is returning from the X-ray department to bed nine.

The doctor's waiting for me.

Hello.

How about that? Waiting for me.

Maria already suffers from glaucoma.

She's worried that her fall may have broken her nose

and damaged her vision.

There you go.

-Thank you very much.

-Just stay in that chair, OK?

No, I'm getting out.

Dr Minhaz has his diagnosis.

So, how are we feeling now?

-Fine.

-Good.

Your X-ray came back normal.

-Good, I'm pleased about that.

-There's no concerns about that.

This bruising will go away itself.

What about the bits on my nose?

The bits on your nose, we just have to keep it clean and dry.

So I can go home?

I'm just going to get some bandage done up,

and then you can go home.

-Oh.

-OK?

Isn't hospital wonderful?

Does it make you feel good that you've done that for me today?

OK, thank you.

I'm going home!

-Are you going home?

-Yes.

The good news travels fast.

-Maria.

-Hello.

-Nothing wrong with me.

-Have you heard the good news?

-I'm going home.

-Oh, lovely!

-So, you have got this nasty bruising around your eyes...

-Mm.

..and do you know what?

It might even get a bit worse over the next 24 hours.

Oh, charming.

You'll get lots of sympathy.

-Do you think I might?

-I would say! So...

Before Maria can leave,

her wounds are cleaned to avoid infection.

I've always been like that.

Right, are you ready?

So when are you going to tell your daughter?

I'll text her a message.

-Text?

-Yes.

And I'll say, "If you've got nothing else to do,

"call on your way home."

She's fine.

She knows what I'm like,

so hopefully, she'll understand.

THEY LAUGH

Cos I'm supposed to be going out to dinner tonight.

-Where you going?

-Just some friends up the road.

Well, you can still go.

-Do you think I could?

-I would.

Good, thank you for the permission.

You're welcome. You're not going to be there late, are you?

No, I could come home early.

You're probably better off being around people,

so that they can keep an eye on you.

Oh, I never thought about it that way.

Rather than sitting by yourself.

At least then, we won't be worrying about you so much.

Oh, right. I'm going out, then.

You're going out.

Right.

We're done.

Do I not need anything on it?

Really?

-You've got a cut here, and a cut here...

-Yeah.

..and it'll just look like a scab for a little bit.

-Don't pick it.

-No.

It's nice to have a patient that's a pleasure to look after.

Well, I'm not ill, though, am I?

That's the thing. That's the difference.

I've kept them busy today.

You have.

Just over two hours after arriving,

Maria's time on bed nine is done.

Our hospital beds have given us intimate access

to the work of the NHS.

After the successful Caesarean,

baby Lucy is at home and settling into life with big sister, Katie.

Eddie and Shirley have managed a holiday in Cornwall together, and are planning more trips.

And Maria's bruising has gone. She's back at her society meetings.

The beds are now back on their wards,

ready and waiting for their next round of patients.