MEMBERS of the public will be given an exclusive insight into the making of a landmark medical ethics documentary on Southampton Children’s Hospital at an event on April 17.

The event taking place from 6pm until 8pm in the Heartbeat Education Centre at Southampton General Hospital will include the documentary’s director Kira Phillips and producer Sue Medhurst from Love Productions, as well as Dr Iain Macintosh, director of PICU and chairman of Friends of PICU, a charity set up in 2006 to help raise funds for equipment and services on the unit.

The two-part Channel 4 series My Baby’s Life: Who Decides?, which featured patients, staff and families from the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU), was produced by Love Productions and followed the stories of six patients and their families.

The programmes, which are available to watch on demand on All 4, also explored the work of the clinical ethics committee at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

Established in 2001, the committee deals with any ethical issues which arise in clinical practice when health practitioners, patients or patients' families cannot reach agreement on important healthcare matters.

The event forms part of the hospital trust’s programme of activities for members, which gives people who register the opportunity to meet staff and hear about news and developments across the organisation.

Emma Abdulaal, membership manager at UHS and event co-ordinator said: “For the second members’ evening of 2018, we are delighted to be able to offer a behind the scenes look into the making of this important documentary”.

“Our speakers will not only share information on PICU itself, but their experiences of filming in such close quarters often during very difficult circumstances, so it will be a very interesting insight into how such programmes are developed.”