Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts - watch as TV clip shows Barnsley A&E 'full to capacity'

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“I have literally no beds,” a nurse is heard saying

This clip from a Channel 5 TV documentary shows the A&E department in Barnsley ‘full to capacity’, with staff struggling to cope.

Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts shows Nurse Jane starting her shift to find that every area of the department is full, with 90 patients in need of help from the casualty team.

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A clip from the Channel 5 show Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts, which was filmed in Barnsley. Photo: Crackit ProductionsA clip from the Channel 5 show Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts, which was filmed in Barnsley. Photo: Crackit Productions
A clip from the Channel 5 show Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts, which was filmed in Barnsley. Photo: Crackit Productions

She can be seen in this clip from the show desperately trying to get people seen.

“I have literally no beds, I’ve got 90 patients in the department, there’s about 12 waiting for AMU (Acute Medical Unit),” she says. “There are no beds. There’s no movement.”

With more than 12 hours of her shift to go, she grows more exacerbated with the situation.

Jane continues: “Look at the waiting room, it’s just ridiculous. I’ve got to make sure that they’ve all had their treatment, that they’ve had their X-rays. That the doctors have seen them, that the doctor knows what he’s doing with them. That any transport that needs booking that that’s been done. Making sure that the nurses with the poorliest of patients in resus are all okay and sorted and they don’t need anything else”.

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In an attempt to rectify the situation Jane contacts other departments in the hospital to see if they are able to help. “It’s only Jane down in A&E again, have you got any more beds coming up?” she asks.

Out of luck, she shares how she feels about the relentless task, saying: “It is a bit like, you know your mind is just going on and on and on”.

Casualty 24/7: Ever Second Counts, produced by Crackit Productions, airs on Channel 5 tonight, Wednesday, May 15, at 9pm.

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