24 Hours in A&E

Vital Organs (2x5)

Air date: Jun 13, 2012

This episode focuses on young men in their prime. One is a fitness fanatic who arrives seriously injured after a canal barge accident, while another is a pre-operative transsexual with a sore finger following a night's clubbing. Nineteen-year-old Josh is flown to King's College Hospital by air ambulance having been crushed between a barge and a bridge while working on a canal. A&E consultant Firas and his team set to work on the teenager. Once he's out of immediate danger their attention turns to a potentially life-changing injury - and every man's worst nightmare - a possible penile fracture. Despite their own fears, Josh's mum and dad attempt to lighten the atmosphere by cracking jokes, but for nurse Leanne it's no laughing matter: 'In the back of your mind you're thinking: You know, it might not be funny in the long run, because it could be something serious. He's only 19. He's probably going to want a family...' In minors, best friends Liam and Nicola are recovering from a Sunday night out clubbing. But an injured finger isn't Liam's only concern. He's also thinking about his upcoming gender reassignment, which will require hormones and - eventually - surgery. Meanwhile, in resus, 80-year-old Jean has been brought to King's by ambulance after collapsing at home. Jean has terminal cancer; she's exhausted and anaemic. Jean's husband, John, is her greatest support. 'You're everything, aren't you: the nurse, the chef,' says Dr Catherine. Jean and John have been together for over 60 years; it's their tender, supportive relationship that helps them to cope. 'He deserves a medal,' says Jean.