Emergency | Preview (Channel 4)

Stripped over four nights, this ground-breaking series tells the story of the London Major Trauma System.

Set up in the wake of the London bombings of 2005, it's a unique interconnected network of hospitals, air ambulances and paramedics that provide a lifeline for 10 million people in London and the south east - a system that has improved the chances of survival for major trauma patients by 50%.

Filmed during the busiest month of summer 2021, the series follows the minute-by-minute decisions made by some of the country's top medics, as they treat the most critically injured patients.

In the first episode, London's Air Ambulance is dispatched to 58-year-old Peter, who has been crushed under a 400kg crate at work. Dr Chloe Baker's job is to 'bring the hospital to the patient' and assess which injuries are the most critical.

She rushes Peter to St George's Hospital - one of the four dedicated major trauma centres in London, treating the most severely injured. Here, the team discover breaks to his pelvis that will need to be painstakingly repaired if Peter is to walk properly again. Danilo, who's 28, is brought to St Mary's Hospital following a serious motorbike crash. Danilo has multiple serious injuries designating him a 'polytrauma'.

Most concerning of all is a rupture to his aorta that could blow at any moment. Vascular surgeon Colin Bicknell says '90% of these die at the scene', as Danilo is fast-tracked to theatre. A night of violence in the capital sees hospitals flooded with stabbings. Wayland arrives at St Mary's and is rushed to emergency surgery.

Trauma and vascular surgeon Morgan McMonagle, who leads the team, says: 'A stab wound can be very catastrophic... if the laceration is big enough, you can bleed out in minutes.' Wesley is transferred to St Mary's following a fall. Scans reveal a spinal emergency for the 78-year-old. One small move and his skull could detach from the top of his spine. Wesley requires urgent, complex surgery.

Emergency begins Monday 28th February at 9pm on Channel 4.