QEHB to star in new series of Channel 5’s ‘999: Critical Condition’
Published on 11/05/2026
Colleagues at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) will appear on television screens nationwide from tonight (12 May) as the sixth series of ‘999: Critical Condition’ airs on Channel 5.
The nationally acclaimed documentary series, previously filmed at Royal Stoke University Hospital, follows patients in life-threatening situations as they receive emergency care. The latest series shifts its focus exclusively to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, offering viewers an unprecedented look inside one of the UK’s busiest major trauma centres.
Filmed between October 2025 and February 2026, the six-part series provides a powerful behind-the-scenes look into the realities faced by front line teams as they make life-or-death decisions under pressure.
Cameras were granted extraordinary access to the hospital’s emergency department, including the resuscitation unit, intensive care unit, operating theatres and specialist wards.
Viewers will see a wide range of illnesses and injuries, including patients treated following road traffic collisions, falls from height, burns, asthma attacks and cardiac arrests.
Tomorrow’s episode features a man who has fallen from scaffolding and impaled on a flagpole, a 73-year-old facing life-changing injuries after an accident at home, and a patient requiring emergency surgery for an open neck wound.
As well as highlighting the work of emergency department colleagues, the programme also showcases the expertise of teams across major trauma, cardiology, ear, nose and throat (ENT), intensive care, and many other specialities.
Matt Metcalfe, Hospital Executive Director for QEHB, said: “This series offers a powerful and honest insight into the exceptional skill, resilience and compassion our colleagues demonstrate every day, often in the most challenging of circumstances.
“We are incredibly proud to share the work of our teams, alongside the extraordinary stories of our patients and their families, with audiences across the country.”
Each 60-minute episode airs every Tuesday at 9pm on Channel 5, with episodes also available to catch up on My5.
