This is Going to Hurt - starts 8th Feb

[ouch321]

I loved the book of this by Adam Kay. I know others weren't so keen.
BBC has dramatised this and starts in early Feb. Just a heads up for others who liked the book.

If we want to watch programs or read books on the NHS and the failings we watch Panorama or read reports

But many want to read about a real account of a junior doctor and watch a programme based on his experiences

It’s not celebrating anyone’s suffering it’s his experience it’s life on the wards that many will recognise and should be told

@OhWhyNot

If we want to watch programs or read books on the NHS and the failings we watch Panorama or read reports

But many want to read about a real account of a junior doctor and watch a programme based on his experiences

It’s not celebrating anyone’s suffering it’s his experience it’s life on the wards that many will recognise and should be told

Of course its celebrating peoples suffering! Thats the punchline!

@KiteInColoured

Why does a bloke who jumped ship as he had chosen the wrong professions and wasn't able to handle being a doctor get to the tell women's birth stories?

I don't think he / the program is attempting to tell women's birth stories though. They are telling the story of the doctor where he is so overworked that the patients are in themselves relatively incidental

I hated the programme as I've previously posted, but Ben Whishaw did a fantastic job acting in this, his character got up my nose so much and I have no doubt that was an intentional choice. The facial expressions, sneering, cold lighting and pale makeup/sweat and cold lighting really made it very nhs-y.

If I honestly thought these attitudes had gone out with the ark I'd give it a pass, but the horrendous attitudes I've experienced myself in gynae wards in the last four years tells me it hasn't. My relative works in HR in private healthcare where the pay, pension etc is actually worse than the NHS for lower band clinical staff, yet everyone I've encountered in that hospital chain has been nothing but welcoming and compassionate. The NHS bullying culture doesn't seem to carry over either because they don't just shuffle troublemakers between wards, they get rid of them properly.

It’s not a funny book to me (or series). It’s devastating. I don’t think it’s suitable for BBC 1 at 9pm. I wouldn’t have watched it as a pregnant woman. Totally get all the hate, but I still think he was a talented doctor who cared too much in the end. I misjudged him and the end of his book punched me in the gut.

It’s not the punchline patients suffering

It’s his experience

But carry on dismissing those who have experience working in health care who can relate to his experience

@OhWhyNot

It’s not the punchline patients suffering

It’s his experience

But carry on dismissing those who have experience working in health care who can relate to his experience

Wow. Ignore the patients. Centre the staff.

Says a lot.

It's not supposed to be Carry on Doctor. It's not a laugh out loud kind of comedy. No one is laughing at women suffering in childbirth. It's not presented in that way at all. I hate to put in spoilers for people who haven't got that far in the show. But I think it's important for some of you to know that Adam gets reported to the GMC for his behaviour! So Adam's behaviour is not seen as acceptable. But I think the show really highlights how poorly NHS staff are treated and the unreasonable conditions they're expected to work under. I think all that is getting lost, especially Shruti's story, because people are so focused on Adam being a misogynist. They're missing the bigger picture.

@AlandAnna

It’s not a funny book to me (or series). It’s devastating. I don’t think it’s suitable for BBC 1 at 9pm. I wouldn’t have watched it as a pregnant woman. Totally get all the hate, but I still think he was a talented doctor who cared too much in the end. I misjudged him and the end of his book punched me in the gut.

Exactly this. I don't know why it's described as a comedy. It's really not. I've not read the book, but I've watched the entire series and as you get to know Adam more you can tell he does really care about his patients or he wouldn't do some of the things he does. I'm not saying his attitude isn't terrible. It is. He's definitely arrogant. I don't think he's portrayed as a hero and I don't think he's meant to be. I think he comes across as a deeply flawed individual.

I think all that is getting lost, especially Shruti's story, because people are so focused on Adam being a misogynist. They're missing the bigger picture

But the misogyny is impossible to overlook, at least for many women. It is a massive part of the bigger picture - or perhaps it actually dictates how the bigger picture is composed, painted and framed.

(Sadly to many people, the misogyny is all too easy to overlook, possibly in the same way that fish overlook being wet.)

Is it possible that it was AK's inherent misogyny that actually made him a not very good obstetrician? The gay relationship storyline seems ok though and his TV partner is quite sweet.

I find the framing of "It is misogyny, some of you are just too stupid to see it" very offensive.

As it would be if I were to accuse some of you of being too thick to detect nuance in a series that ostensibly is a comedy but is actually a scathing and at times heartbreaking denunciation of the NHS's treatment of both its staff and patients, with a main character who is depicted as far from likeable but also as reacting to unbearable pressure.

@KiteInColoured

Is it possible that it was AK's inherent misogyny that actually made him a not very good obstetrician? The gay relationship storyline seems ok though and his TV partner is quite sweet.

He is portraying himself as an eternal joker. Was he too busy being sarcastic and funny? At least he has found an alternative career where he can express this side of him as a comedian and writer.

His kids books are so good though. He should write more of those.

Myself and many many NHS staff (majority) do not ignore our patients we do our absolute best for them.

We can not always accommodate their requests which border on ridiculous at times and at other times decisions have to be made by professionals to keep patients safe

Tbh I’d say it has the same “level” of comedic content as House has. And I’d much more serious than Scrubs, say.

@SilverGlassHare

I find the framing of "It is misogyny, some of you are just too stupid to see it" very offensive.

As it would be if I were to accuse some of you of being too thick to detect nuance in a series that ostensibly is a comedy but is actually a scathing and at times heartbreaking denunciation of the NHS's treatment of both its staff and patients, with a main character who is depicted as far from likeable but also as reacting to unbearable pressure.

I don't think anyone has said that anyone is too stupid to see it. I certainly wasn't implying that and apologise sincerely if it came across like that. I wonder if working in an environment where it is endemic, structural and has been part of the culture forever might make you desensitised to it though - necessarily so. (I have 2 very close friends who are midwives, both of whom are much better at shrugging it off and saying 'that's just the way it is' than I am.)

It's fucking petrifying to watch at 8 months pregnant, that's for sure

I don’t think it’s meant to be a comedy. It’s a drama with dark humour. I feel the point of the programme is to show the stress and pressure put on the doctors in the NHS. I won’t spoil it completely but note that the lovely, eager to please Shruti from episode 1 becomes very jaded by the end of the series after suffering revision stress, patient abuse, a lack of compassion and support from seniors, and of course an unmanageable workload.

SPOILER
When Adam works in a posh private hospital (where their biggest concern is that the spinach risotto on menu is GASPS barely in season) and he realises that they don’t have enough bags of blood for a transfusion, they get transferred to his NHS hospital and it’s Shruti who has to save the day. Shruti, who until minutes previously had been the only capable doctor in the ward, was working on another life threatening emergency and has been having a day from hell. Her face says it all.

It’s fucking horrifying!

having recently watched i, sniper - the washington shooting thing i thought that this is going to hurt was positively disney-like in comparison.

i used to know a doctor who wrote on patients notes "FLK" for Funny Looking Kid.

i didn't think that brats and twats was that offensive. i'm sure there are lots worse.

was never a fan of ben wishaw but i think he's really good in this and i have only seen one episode but i thought it was entertaining.

I love the Shruti character.

Watched the first episode last night and frankly found it a bit triggering.
In 2006 (if that's when it was set) was a junior doctor. Left alone to run a whole A&E department overnight. Was literally the only doctor in the department as a 2nd year doctor. Registrar was in bed, as was consultant. They rarely bothered to come in even if you called them. Had to manage things I'd never managed before. I remember several nights just moving round the department, from sick patient to sicker patient to even sicker patient, unable to finish with the previous ones as needed to see the sicker patient NOW. No breaks, unable even to wee. Thank fuck I got out.
Sadly realistic if you ask me.

Watched last eve ,and was somewhat shocked! I get this is supposed to be a comedy ,but as someone who had a bad experience with a GP misdiagnosing my symptoms found it less than amusing! Ben Whishaw is great as an Actor but just missed the mark for me here

Have to add that when admitted to hospital following this error ,hosp staff bloody brilliant! Saw 12 different doctors ,put on a drip of Antibiotics for Sepsis .And an operation to clear problem .All wonderful caring staff to nurse me .No "Doctors" like this one there thankfully!

It's not a comedy though surely? Bits of black humour yes but it's too shocking and serious.

Maybe because I've watched the whole thing but Adam gets called on his crap. None of the medical staff are 'good' or 'bad'. Every character is nuanced. The only consistently decent one is Harry.

And Adam did care - trying to get the teen the psych consult, doing the old ladies prolapse himself rather than sending her to the clinic, answering his mates questions about the annoying wife. He was just an arsehole too. I liked his visits to Mist - essentially selfish because he wanted him to be ok to stop his guilt but also sweet - the socks, explaining the wires etc.

I think that this absolutely should be shown, because this is what it was (is?) like. By the way, can we keep this discussion about the series, not the book coz some of us havent read it, thanks