Trauma: Level One

Series one, episode two
ITV’s new two-part documentary takes a look behind the scenes at the Major Trauma Centre at Southampton General Hospital – one of twelve institutions in the country set up to treat potentially life-changing injuries.Tonight, we meet three victims of road accidents, the biggest provider of patients to these centres. We also watch the team at work in situations where – as clichéd as it sounds – every decision really could mean the difference between life and death.

While there are the prerequisite gory scenes that may prove difficult for those with weak stomachs, the real punch in this documentary comes from interviews with families and victims who realise their lives have been changed in a split second. Not always easy to watch, but a fitting testament to the people who keep these centres running.