Episode 1

A huge influx of patients into the emergency department at Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, results in dozens of people lying on trollies waiting to be admitted. With A&E departments across the country bursting at the seams, NHS bosses make an unprecedented move - they advise every hospital in England to cancel all operations that are not clinically urgent or for cancer. The hope is that this will release beds for the patients queuing to get into A&E.