New BBC show based on the bestselling book of the same name by doctor Adam Kay, This Is Going To Hurt, showcases the heartbreaking yet hopeful reality of working in the NHS. The series is set in 2006, just before one of the worst public health crises Britain has ever seen. It follows Adam Kay (played by Ben Wishaw) as he navigates dealing with life and death on the maternity ward and his personal life, such as the fact he hasn't come out to his mum yet. From being drenched in blood to a Kinder Egg toy hidden in an unexpected intimate place, This Is Going To Hurt is full of unexpected twists and turns.
Once you've recovered from the rather graphic scenes and dark humour, at the heart of the show is the basic principle that the NHS has been underfunded and overstretched for years, with junior doctors receiving little to no support.
The series doesn't hold back when it comes to depicting the mental health of NHS staff. From fellow junior doctor Shruti’s burnout and Adam’s flashbacks from traumatic births the theme is prominent throughout the series.
However, Adam’s unconventional method of treatment lands him in hot water when a running complaint against him regarding his conduct and professionalism affects his personal life with boyfriend Harry and his spiralling mental health. Despite the complaint, the blatantly obvious truth is that Adam is an excellent doctor, struggling with the limited resources available to him and the ever-mounting strain on the NHS and its staff.
Wishaw’s compelling performance catapults the drama into the outstanding. Its brutal storytelling juxtaposed to the dry yet unmissable wittiness makes this one of the greatest medical dramas in recent history. Pulling no punches with the show’s funny anecdotes and gruelling loss of life, Adam Kay’s writing shines through on-screen, inviting viewers into one of the country’s most pressured environments.
Perhaps the most harrowing of all is simply the fact the drama is set over 13 years ago, one can only imagine how present-day Brexit, increased underfunding, and staff shortages are seeing the NHS fall to its knees under continuous Tory rule; this really is hurting.
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