Many viewers were left asking the same question as ITV's new Sunday night drama launched last weekend - is it based on a true story?
Adverts for Malpractice have been airing on ITV for weeks and, after all those teasers, the new thriller made its debut, in the 9pm slot most recently occupied by the final series of Endeavour, the return of Grace and much talked about ITV true crime drama The Hunt for Raoul Moat.
Malpractice was announced by ITV Drama last year, and focuses on Dr Lucinda Edwards (Niamh Algar), who is a smart, battle-hardened doctor, who has the shift from hell, after the the death of an opioid overdose victim, Edith Owusu.
Despite the support of her medical supervisor, Dr Leo Harris, played by James Purefoy (A Discovery of Witches, Pennyworth, Sex Education), Edith’s grieving father Sir Anthony Owusu demands an enquiry into Lucinda’s actions on the fateful night. As the pressure of the investigation intensifies, Lucinda’s relationship with husband Tom, played by Lorne MacFadyen (Pistol, Vigil) starts to fracture, and her confident professional exterior begins to crack. Is Lucinda hiding something?
An ITV preview adds: "Through the cat and mouse thriller of the medical investigation, Malpractice tells the story of a damaged doctor caught up in a dangerous conspiracy."
Is ITV's Malpractice based on a true story?
Unlike, its predecessor, The Hunt for Raoul Moat, which was very much based on real life events, Malpractice is NOT.
However, the series has been inspired by the real-life experiences of former doctor Grace Ofori-Attah, who moved into screenwriting following a 15-year medical career.
Talking about her very real experiences in the NHS and how that inspired the drama, Grace said: "“I’d worked as an NHS doctor for over a decade when I first came to World with an idea that would become Malpractice. Malpractice explores the inevitable pressure-cooker created when doctors under investigation are forced to second-guess their clinical decisions, justify their every action but carry on with the day job as normal."
She added: "It has been an absolute joy and privilege creating Malpractice with the team at World, who are well-versed in creating drama that’s endlessly entertaining and surprising, and I can’t wait to see it on screen.”
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