Watching Hospital is chilling. Just how bad can NHS underfunding get? | Frances Ryan

Operations cancelled, children scared, no beds left: the BBC documentary charts the long-term effects of short-term fixes

Halfway through the opening episode of BBC's Hospital this week, we see an orthopaedic surgeon stand in the middle of an empty operating theatre. It's 8.30am and the surgeon - dressed in scrubs and ready to work - is forced to stop for the day: without enough intensive care beds, there's nowhere for his patients to recover after surgery.

Filmed at two Nottingham hospitals this winter, this scene takes place a few days after the government announced all non-urgent operations would be cancelled across the country because of mass bed shortages.

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Related: Theresa May pledges to accelerate NHS long-term funding plan

Research this month found abuse is taking place in 99% of care homes across England due to chronic underfunding