24 Hours in A&E

Thirteen-year-old Will gets a CT scan for head injuries sustained in a baseball accident, baby Amira has an irregular heartbeat, and pizza delivery rider Chris has been knocked off his motorbike

Carole, who's 45, has had a heart attack. She talks about being put into care when she was 11, using heroin, turning her life around then losing touch - until recently - with her partner.

The staff at St George's tackle one of their most dramatic and unusual emergencies. Rail worker Alan has been hit by a high-speed train and is at risk of losing his right arm.

Eleven-month-old Isabel is rushed to St George's after suffering a fit and losing consciousness, while 22-year-old Felix is brought to A&E with a self-inflicted stab wound to his stomach. Retired engineer Bill, 68, fell 15ft from a ladder while cutting a leylandii hedge. He arrives by air ambulance with breathing difficulties and suspected multiple fractures.

Peter, 85, has been brought - unwillingly - to A&E by his stepson Brian. He cut his finger on some wire two weeks earlier and his hand is swollen and won't stop bleeding. Emma, 23, is rushed to St George's after crashing her car on the way to her father's house, while doctors also see to 86-year-old Harry, who fell down a flight of stairs a day earlier but didn't seek treatment. Ciaran, 27, injured his ankle the previous night while out with friends and was given a temporary cast. Emergency nurse practitioner Helen needs to get him X-rayed and replastered, but he faces a return visit for an operation.

Tree surgeon David, 27, is airlifted to St George's after falling 40ft to the ground, hitting several branches on his way down and landing head-first onto concrete. Having been knocked unconscious for 10 minutes, the medical team must urgently assess him for internal injuries. Anne, 74, arrives with a sharp pain in her chest, 51-year-old taxi driver Mark receives treatment for a cut on his finger caused by broken glass, and 92-year-old Betty is brought in by ambulance after her carers found her with slurred speech and a shaking hand

Bob, 51, is airlifted to St George's after falling 20ft from a ladder while repairing his roof. With debris in his wound, doctors are concerned he could develop a life-threatening infection. Retired pharmacologist Anthony, 68, receives help for a chronic gas problem, while 83-year-old Gladys collapsed on the stairs at home and has a dangerously low heart rate.

Keen rugby player Robert has a dangerously high heart rate and may need to have a pacemaker fitted - a scary thought for the nine-year-old's father. Mark, 32, has fallen 30ft from scaffolding while doing some DIY, and there's concern he may have damaged his spine. Christine, 74, arrives in A&E after an accident in her garden, and she's suffered nasty injuries to her face.

Becky, 59, is rushed in after a suspected stroke, and medics are concerned she may have had a bleed on the brain. Georgia, 19, locked herself out of her flat and lost her balance trying to climb through a second-floor window, falling 20ft on to concrete. She's sent for an urgent CT scan with possible spinal injuries. Meanwhile, 88-year-old Edith is kept under observation after collapsing at home.

Nikki, 50, and her mum Angela, 68, have been involved in a serious car crash. While Nikki, who was driving, is sent for a CT scan with suspected internal injuries, Angela is treated for head wounds and a dislocated elbow. Ellen, 53, arrives with a painfully swollen elbow after falling over in a supermarket, and seven-year-old Jack is rushed to A&E with an open fracture on his arm and a blow to his head after an accident at a wedding.

Zaki, 63, recently underwent a tonsillectomy following a diagnosis of throat cancer, but he has come to A&E after suffering a serious bleed. Doctors try to save 10-month-old baby Amy, who stopped breathing at home, while 21-year-old expectant father Craig appears to have had a miraculous escape after a motocross accident, but has he learnt his lesson?

Betting shop owner Les, 40, is rushed to St George's after losing control of his car on a country road on his way to work. Cambelle, a 21-year-old plumber, has an infected cyst that may require surgery, while 67-year-old retired doctor Patrick is brought to A&E following a horse-riding accident in which he was dragged 130ft and not found for more than two hours

This episode meets patients and families looking to the future rather than dwelling on the past. Scott, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager, has badly cut his knee on a night out.