GPs to star in BBC documentary

GPs in the Peak District will be the stars of a new TV show airing this September, after allowing BBC cameras to follow them around for the last year.

The two-part documentary ‘The Real Peak Practice’ promises to shine a light on the everyday struggles of general practice including problems with recruiting new GPs and keeping elderly patients out of hospital.

Focused around the Baslow Health Centre, a rural practice where almost one of three patients is over 65, the show is narrated by TV actor Dominic West, especially known for starring in US TV drama The Wire but also a native of the nearby village of Grindleford.

The documentary follows GP partner Dr Louise Jordan in her work at the practice as well as for local end-of-life care charity the St Helen’s Trust, where she is a trustee.

The BBC’s executive producer on the show, Sally Bowman, said its production had been ‘a humbling experience’.

She said: ‘The team at Baslow Health Centre are so dedicated to their patients and determined to do their best in sometimes very difficult circumstances.

‘We know that 90% of patient contacts with the NHS are through their family doctor but television tends to concentrate on the dramas of A&E. Over the past year I’ve learnt that there is just as much drama behind the scenes of primary care and just as many unsung heroes too.’

The show follows rival Channel 5’s series ‘GPs: Behind Closed Doors’ which aired last year.