to think that some topics should be off-limits for telly (just saw 5 minutes of childrens emergency)

[oricella]

I hardly watch TV, but last night I accidentaly saw 5 minutes of Childrens emergency before switching it off. My DD was retrieved by a specialist team, but for the life of me, I can not imagine having to go through that experience as a parent and having camera crews hovering in the background. Your child is seriously ill, in danger of dying, you are at your most vulnerable and on an emotional roller coaster - why on earth should that be on public record and broadcast to the nation?

Whilst I totally, completely, utterly support the work of CATS and similar systems, I can not see how anyone is served by programmes like these. Are they concerned about funding? There honestly must be better ways to convince the powers that be of the value of their work. A show like this is intrusive and unnecessary. On a personal note it's also making me relive everything, which is Not Fun At All!

I guess parents must have given their consent somewhere along the way, but AIBU to think that they just shouldn't have been put in that position in the first place because some controlled decided it would make good TV?

Didn't watch the programme i'm sorry butI'm sure they are well informed as to what will happen if they do consent so it's completely up to them to have the camera crew there.However, I would also find it intrusive and I find these types of programme very stressful (if its the kind of prgramme i'm thinking of, real life emergency situations?)
I'm sorry its upset you, what do you mean when you say 'retrieved by a specialist team?

like all those traumatic books that seem to be hogging the shelves these days.

voyeuristic sick shit imo.

She had meningitis and had to be transferred to a peadiatric ICU 150 miles away ... Good thing as her breathing failed shortly after she arrived there. I think up here they call them retrieval teams - with doctor and specialised nurse and all gear in the ambulance in case they deteriorate during transfer

My point is that I think that parents in these situation are not in any state to even think about giving consent for them or their children to be filmed .. I'm not sure what I would have done if they had asked me - I would probably not have even registered it

you do have a point there, it does seem very wrong to ask a parent in a situation like that if they mind you following them around with a camera for the entertainment of others.I hope your DD has made a full recovery.

i sometimes think that too...but at the end there is usually a catch up with a happy ending

Thanks IamBatman.. my DD pulled through, and after some initial wobbles seems to have escaped without long term after effects - thanks to a fantastic team.

ThreeBlondeBoys - I know what you mean about the happy endings - but what about the ones who got filmed and didn't make it? It chills me to think there must be tons of footage out there of incredibly distressesd children and parents

I'd be genuinely interested to hear from anyone who did give approval, as I just don't understand the appeal of it. I mean I didn't brush my hair for 3 days and ran around in scruffy clothes as had rushed out of the house in the middle of the night - honestly, who would want to be on TV like that ... (pathetic attempt to make light of the topic)

I'm with you completely Oricella. Having also had a child who was dangerously ill after birth I would have been in no fit state to have agreed or disagreed with consent to film the situation.

With the risk of sounding like Mary Whitehouse here - TV has gone far too far...

Minty - sorry to hear you had a bad experience too; I saw one glimpse of the mum in the background yesterday and that was the thing that really bugged me, switching off the TV the only option.. even though at some level the topic was hugely interesting, I just felt it was not mine or anyone elses business to watch it.. glad a few more of you feel the same

YANBU but it does raise awareness and necessary donations I think.

I also saw an advert for a documentary on the Cumbria killings - I mean, ALREADY!? Not necessary or appropriate imo.

Ewe - I saw the ad, but not for a minute wanted to watch it... many people must do though

YANBU. To put your mind at rest, though, the parents will definitely have given their consent, at the time and after the event. I have worked in hospitals co-operating with fly on the wall camera crews, and though I actually argued against letting them in - and would again - there is no doubt that the hospitals benefit from it.

Still doesn't make it right, in my view.

Thats why I won't watch these things. Obviously there muct be people that do but I can't think of a worse programme that shows very sick children where you don't know if they are going to make it. And I certainly wouldn't be letting someone film it!

on the one hand I don't know why anyone would want to put themselves through being filmed like that and do think it must be intrusive.

Otoh it does raise awareness, and realistically, what is the alternative? That all real life tv/documentaries be replaced with badly acted dramas where they inevitably get it wrong and where people gain no awareness of what is going on in the world around them?

Hester - that's very interesting. I do believe people will be asked after the event too, but I do wonder how long after... IME it takes months, if not longer, to even start to get over the experience. It would be nice to know if the programme comes with an offer of counselling.. Even then, my memories are enough - I wouldn't want the DVD of it.

I do take the point of raising awareness - and it's a fine line for documentary makers. Personally I just feel that you shouldn't put people in a position to make a decision when they are in a accute stressful situation

My DS was born with transposition of the great arteries (arteries in the heart around the wrong way) and that was featured on one of the Children's Emergency programmes and I found it quite interesting to watch.

When you are going through it you see so many people and get told so many things and quite a lot just goes over your head (well it did for me in my emotional state) so I guess to see it from the professionals point of view and them talking so frankly about the condition was pretty interesting. I guess there was a lot of stuff that I forgot (plus a lot of it they didn't show on the TV program) so it does refresh your memory and make you sit back and acknowledge how lucky I am that I have my beautiful baby and be thankful to all the staff who worked so hard because in the program you got to see behind the scenes like when they were doing the baby's operation, which obviously I didn't get to see with my own DS. It was also a bit chilling to watch as well because I didn't quite realise that before DS's first operation which he got when he was 6 hours old, he literally could have died at any moment.

YANBU, you are entitled to your view but personally I found that particular one interesting because it was exactly what DS had went through.... but if asked I wouldn't have allowed it to have been filmed but I wouldn't judge anyone who did allow it afterall it is just the relevant informative bits they must film, my DS was in hospital for 2 months and I'm sure that little baby was as well but you only see around 20 mins on the program so I don't think the cameras were around the family 24/7.

Frogs - I see your point, and I guess at some level I probably would be interested to see a similar case to my DD as well. I want to make clear though that I do not in anyway judge the parents... I can just about imagine that when so many things are happening, and you're asked to consent to being filmed, you'll say yes - purely because you cannot process everything that is going on. Then when all ends well, you may be thinking it's OK to broadcast, or you may even feel you're obliged to have it broadcast because they've spend so much effort on it, or you feel it would be good for the world to see

Still though, I feel it is wrong to make additional demands of parents who are in such a stressful situation and if I am doing any judging at all, it is the people who put them in that position

Hope your DS is doing well - and like you I'm grateful every single day for the health services we have here