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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Gemma Jones

This Is Going To Hurt on BBC One: The true story behind the drama

The BBC's latest comedy drama This Is Going To Hurt is set to premiere tonight.

Based on Adam Kay’s award-winning book of the same name, the programme shows a true depiction of the gut-wrenching lows of life on a gynaecology and obstetrics ward.

The doctor kept a diary documenting the truth of life as a medical professional on the NHS frontline, showing all sides of it from the hilarious parts to the devastating, as he worked in the field between 2004 and 2010.

READ MORE: BBC's This Is Going To Hurt: episodes, full cast, start date and time

In the adaptation of the book, Dr Adam Kay is played by Ben Whishaw as we watch him find his way through the ranks of hospital hierarchy.

He is junior enough to suffer the crippling hours, but senior enough to face a constant barrage of terrifying responsibilities.

Adam clings to his personal life as he is increasingly overwhelmed by stresses at work as he tries to juggle 97-hour weeks with making time for his boyfriend, Harry, best friend, Greg, and the rest of his family.

In the programme he is joined by newcomer Shruti, a young doctor just starting out in the field; Tracy, a sharp-witted senior midwife, and Mr Lockhart, a consultant and Adam’s domineering boss.

Adam described the show as "a love letter to the NHS", as he said: "To my mind the country’s single greatest achievement: healthcare that’s free at the point of service, always based on your clinical need and never based on your bank balance."

Speaking of creating the show, the doctor said: "I’d like to think that no one has made a medical show that’s quite as real before - and not just in terms of the clinical details.

"I’ve often thought that medical programmes don’t tend to paint the life of a doctor in three full dimensions, and I think that’s something we’ve achieved really well."

Adam has since left the profession for a career in writing and is now known as a comedy writer, author, and comedian.

This is Going to Hurt starts on Tuesday, February 8 at 9pm on BBC One.

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