24 Hours In A&E

In a shocking, random act of violence, a young woman is knocked to the ground, after being punched in the face by a stranger on her way home from work. Lying in the street, she's fighting for her life when Andrew, a passer-by, finds her and calls 999.

80-year-old Rose has fluid on her lungs and is having trouble breathing. Her three daughters Christine, Sandra and Debbie put on a brave face around their mother's bedside, convincing her that everything will be all right, but in the relatives' room, there is high emotion as they tearfully contemplate life without her.

39-year-old Neil was driving a friend's sports car when he was involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle. Trapped in the wreckage for over an hour, he's been flown by HEMS, the helicopter emergency medics, to King's A&E. The main concern is potential paralysis from injury to his neck and back.

Father-of-three John, 53, was on his way to work when he came off his motorbike and struck a bollard, injuring his shoulder. Frances, his partner of twenty-four years, is abroad and John doesn't want to spoil her holiday - she worries about him going out on his motorbike every single day - so he asks their son not to tell her he's in hospital.

47-year-old Chrissie was crossing the road near her home when she was hit by a motorcycle. The side of Chrissie's face took the brunt of the impact and the main concern is potential bleeding behind the eye or in the brain. Her husband Tim struggles to get to the hospital - ironically he's stuck in the traffic jam her accident has caused.

Eight-year-old Abby hit her head after falling from the steps of a high diving board. The medical team needs to scan her head and neck to check for serious injuries.

26-year-old Nicholas has been punched in the face in a random attack - his jaw is fractured and dislocated and he can't close his mouth or speak. Consultant Craniofacial Surgeon Rob, a world-renowned specialist, puts Nicholas's jaw back in place with his magic thumb.

47-year-old Gary was on his motorcycle when he had a head-on collision with a car. The single father of two is a code red trauma and is being flown fifty miles to King's by air ambulance. He's on life support with serious head, chest and limb injuries and has been put in a medically-induced coma to reduce the risk of brain damage.

32-year-old scaffolder Thomas has been struck on the back of the head by a six-meter tube at a building site in South London. He lost consciousness and was convulsing at the scene. Doctors are concerned he may have fractured his skull, spine or neck.

28-year-old Ahmed has dislocated his shoulder in a game of American football and has to grit his teeth while doctor Matt puts it back into place. The relief is immediate and Ahmed leaves A&E with a smile on his face. It's like scoring a goal when you manage to get a shoulder back in, says Matt. Or winning £10 on the lottery.

94-year-old Douglas is a highly decorated Second World War veteran who served in an elite commando unit. He's been brought in to A&E by his youngest daughter Sylvie because his breathing has deteriorated. Sylvie, who's an amputee herself, has been his full-time carer for the last twenty years.

56-year-old Pauline has had a fall at home, hitting her head on a table. She smashed her teeth, but the main concern is an injury to her spine and neck. Pauline's proneness to accidents is a constant worry for her husband, John. She tripped on a manhole and broke her foot, remembers John. She ran across the road, tripped and fell onto the pavement and fractured her wrist and broke her elbow.

47-year-old mum Helen has come in with her 10-month-old son James who has been vomiting since the morning. With two older boys already, Helen decided to have another child and James was conceived after three courses of ivf. The pregnancy was difficult and James was born prematurely with a hole in his heart and one kidney and spent his first thirteen weeks in the hospital.

One in ten of all patients in A&E comes in after a fall. 11-year-old Archie has tripped and fallen up a step at the school library and has badly cut his lip. Archie's worried about stitches, but he's also concerned about his rumbling tummy - he hasn't had his favourite dinner of chicken and chips.