The WORST episodes of 24 Hours in A&E
Every episode of 24 Hours in A&E ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of 24 Hours in A&E!
Cameras film around the clock in some of Britain's busiest A&E departments, where stories of life, love and loss unfold every day.
#1 - Life Lessons
Season 19 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/30/2019
A fall, back damage that could be life changing, and chest pain that could be fatal.
#2 - Without a Trace
Season 19 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/23/2019
Love and loss unfold every single day. In this episode we follow the hospital through 24 hours of stabbing and violent attacks
#3 - You Are Not Alone
Season 27 - Episode 5 - Aired 8/8/2022
Kerrie is rushed to A&E with a suspected stroke. Jitendra has severely cut his hand while cooking for his family. And Bayan, who's 24, is experiencing facial numbness
#4 - Episode 13
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 8/3/2011
Seventy-four-year-old Ted and his wife Irene are on their tenth visit to A&E this year. Ted has already been diagnosed with terminal bladder cancer, but his problems have got worse, and after getting blood test results he's been urgently sent to King's. As much as staff try to keep their emotions in check, Senior Sister Maria, who looks after Ted, finds herself profoundly affected by his situation and how he and his wife are coping. She says 'There are patients that will get to you. For Ted to have such a positive outlook, it can't but inspire you. There are a few Teds in my career that I will always remember.' Emergency medical technician Amanda is a key part of the team administering CPR to a man who's suffered cardiac arrest. She talks about the strain of trying desperately to save someone's life: 'The minute it's in the door, it affects me. You have to be professional and it is hard.' German doctor Roman is still getting used to the cultural differences between practising in Germany and the UK: 'I got the hints from nurses that you can't say "this or that" straight to a patient. You should imply a little bit more: "darling, please, would you mind?" and "unfortunately, I have to, I know it will hurt a little bit". The German way is see the problem, make it known and solve it. "Will it hurt, doctor?" "Yes".' A young man comes in with a splinter in his thumb, which he's had for a month; he is sent back to his GP. Another patient has fallen out of a tree, drunk. And a 40-year-old-man who's been kicked in the face during a football match needs stitches.
#5 - Episode 7
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 6/22/2011
The team face a 12-hour night shift treating young men with stab wounds, as their friends gather in the A&E waiting room and tension mounts. 'For penetrating trauma to the chest, which are your stab wounds, King's is one of the busiest hospitals in Europe. The areas we serve in London are particularly high crime areas,' says Nurse Scott. 'Sometimes you're looking at two or three stabs a day so the numbers have risen; it seems that people's way of fighting has moved on from punching each other to using bats, to using knives, to using guns.' Seventeen-year-old Levi is the first stab victim to arrive after a fight on the street. His injuries aren't life-threatening, but he needs extensive stitching and an overnight stay. His mum is distraught, but Levi doesn't want to speak to the police about the attack. When two young men from different areas with stab wounds from the same fight come in, the staff know trouble is brewing and groups of their friends soon arrive. Other patients in this episode include a young woman who's been punched in the face and knocked to the ground, and a man who has had too much to drink at the House of Commons. And porters Brian and Kevin, who are responsible for moving patients, collecting bloods and taking specimens to the labs - as well as taking bodies to the mortuary - explain their passion for the job.
#6 - Time to Care
Season 29 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/10/2022
A London Underground worker undergoes tests to look for signs of a heart attack after collapsing at a Tube station, and recalls the difficulties he faced in his childhood. Doctors work to stabilise the chest and back injuries sustained by a man who fell in his garden, and a Royal Navy veteran comes to A&E with an infected splinter in his arm
#7 - Trouble In Mind
Season 32 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/18/2024
A security guard manages violent incident with a patient. Jack, who's 33, is rushed into A&E after falling from a horse, and 7-year-old Lyla has a finger infection.
#8 - Safety Net
Season 23 - Episode 8 - Aired 3/2/2021
A 21-year-old is rushed into the emergency room with a suspected stroke. As the doctors run urgent tests, her dad reminisces. James arrives with a serious leg break after being thrown from his bike.
#9 - I Got You
Season 32 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/12/2024
Young Henry has been hit by a forklift truck driven by his dad. Best mates Dean and Nahum are reeling from a car crash. And 94-year-old Pearl shares a tale of wartime romance
#10 - Episode 5
Season 33 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/29/2024
This episode meets people who've taken big risks and explores how it's affected their lives. Motorbikers James and Peter are both rushed in. Ex-miner Alfred has severe chest pain.
#11 - About a Boy
Season 32 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/5/2024
Fifteen-year-old James has been struck in the eye with an arrow. Jim's in resus after flipping his car onto its roof. Joiner Chris has a wound to his head after a work accident.
#12 - Episode 4
Season 33 - Episode 4 - Aired 7/15/2024
After suffering a severe asthma attack while walking her kids from school, Nichole is rushed to Nottingham's A&E. And Josh has a serious neck injury from an accident playing American football.
#13 - Sliding Doors
Season 26 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/15/2022
#14 - A Love Without End
Season 26 - Episode 4 - Aired 2/8/2022
#15 - Blink of an Eye
Season 24 - Episode 8 - Aired 7/20/2021
The episode follows three stories of people whose lives have been remarkably changed due to unforeseen circumstances. 46-year-old Claire has been sent to A&E by her GP with chronic back pain. Doctors are concerned she may be suffering a serious underlying spinal injury. Claire talks bravely about the life changing moment her sister passed away and the implications for her family. 44-year-old Anne Marie has been rushed to St George’s with a suspected stroke. Doctors have to act quickly to help prevent any long-lasting damage. Her best friend Tunji recalls the medical difficulties Anne Marie has had to overcome throughout her life. New born Gracie has been brought to St George’s paediatric department by new parents Danny and Jordan concerned she has an infected umbilical cord. Gracie’s parents discuss the life changes and joy of becoming parents for the first time.
#16 - Learning Curve
Season 23 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/23/2021
A bartender and dad-to-be is in emergency room. An 88-year-old is rushed in after being found collapsed at home. And a young doctor describes how it feels giving bad news to patients.
#17 - Episode 1
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/11/2011
Senior consultant Malcolm Tunnicliff and his team face a battle to save a 'Code Red' - a patient with potentially fatal injuries - brought into A&E by helicopter. Thirty-three-year-old Greek student Theodore Chatziapostolou was dragged under a bus while crossing the road at Elephant and Castle. He was trapped and literally folded in two with his 'nose touching his toes'. Hovering between life and death, he has multiple serious injuries, including a terrible pelvic injury. Tunnicliff has 15 minutes to keep him alive so he can find out what's wrong with him and work out how to save him. The same day, 13 other emergency cases were treated in Resus, including 78-year-old Tom Gibbs, who fell head-first off a ladder while painting his daughter's landing, and a confused cyclist with a severe head injury.
#18 - Back to Square One
Season 25 - Episode 1 - Aired 12/2/2021
Karan is rushed to St George's with a leg fracture from football. Will has a painful swelling on his head and recalls how his life changed after he was assaulted as a teenager.
#19 - Episode 5
Season 34 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/13/2025
Carol's rushed to Queen's after a lighter set fire to her oxygen tank and burnt her face. Trevor, who's blind, has fallen down the stairs at home, and Grace has injured her knee.
#20 - From This Day Forward
Season 18 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/7/2019
On royal wedding day, patients - including David, who has fallen from a ladder, and John, who has fallen down stairs - and their relatives reflect on love, devotion and commitment.
#21 - Episode 6
Season 33 - Episode 6 - Aired 8/5/2024
A pedestrian is rushed to A&E with multiple life-threatening injuries after being injured in a hit-and-run. An acrobat has a damaged wrist. And a 93-year-old has a broken leg.
#22 - Where There's a Will...
Season 26 - Episode 8 - Aired 3/15/2022
It’s a busy day in Resus for new consultant Sobi, with 15-year-old Gus going over the handlebars of his bike and Patricia, who's 73, in extreme pain due to a dislocated shoulder.
#23 - Worst Case Scenario
Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 8/28/2013
This episode focuses on men of all ages facing illness and their fears. Seventy-nine-year-old Arthur has been brought to Resus after complaining of stomach pains. The medics are trying to work out which of his underlying conditions could be to blame: he's on kidney dialysis, and has an existing ulcer and an enlarged aorta (the major artery in the heart). But Arthur's not one for complaining; he's known tough times. As a boy, Arthur was evacuated from London during the Blitz, but was brought back by his mother. 'She said "If we're going to die, we may as well die in our own home"', he says. Arthur's daughter Debbie talks proudly about her father's positive attitude to life. Meanwhile, 20-year-old Tom, who works as a wine merchant, is rushed into A&E after collapsing with acute chest pain and difficulty breathing. Tom's normally fit and well, and has no history of a heart condition or respiratory problems. Doctors are uncertain of the underlying cause of his pain. Tom's dad Bob was understandably seriously worried to get the call from A&E. And retired soldier Rockey has come to King's with his wife Cordelia after experiencing blurred vision. Rockey, who was born in Guyana, is worried it could be a detached retina, which could lead to blindness. But Rockey does tend to be a glass-half-full kind of person, perhaps with good reason.
#24 - The Fighter
Season 31 - Episode 1 - Aired 7/10/2023
A new series starts in Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham. Staff help Kaeden, a 16-year-old with a serious illness, a biker who's had a fall, and a woodworker with a sliced thumb.