Malpractice is a British medical drama television series, created and written by Grace Ofori-Attah.[1][2] It stars Niamh Algar as a doctor embroiled in a medical scandal. It began airing on 23 April 2023 on ITV and ITVX. It has been commissioned for a second series.[3]
Plot
While the respected Dr. Lucinda Edwards was treating an opioid-overdose patient, an alarm is sounded, prompting the hospital's staff rush to reception where a man is waving a gun around. Dr. Edwards tries to calm him and offers to help the person on the floor with a gunshot wound. The gunshot patient is moved to A&E but to locate a bed, someone else must be moved. Dr Edwards nominates the overdose patient and sends a young doctor with her to continue her care.
Meantime Dr Edwards returns to the gunshot patient who is being prepped for surgery. Then Dr Harris arrives and takes over. The gunshot patient survives but the overdose patient does not. The young doctor had misheard or misinterpreted the instructions Dr Edwards gave, but when the overdose patient's influential barrister father makes a complaint and the General Medical Council decide to take the case to court, it is Dr Edwards whose job appears under most threat. Though she wins the lawsuit, her job remains in jeopardy since the hospital board becomes determined to destroy her to maintain their public image, and her personal problems come to light and her position and life are both on the line as a major pharmaceutical conspiracy starts to unravel.
Prior to writing, Ofori-Attah had worked as a doctor in the NHS. The first series was filmed in West Yorkshire.[4]
Episodes
No.
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
UK viewers (millions)
1
"Episode 1"
Philip Barantini
Grace Ofori-Attah
23 April 2023 (2023-04-23)
5.31
2
"Episode 2"
Philip Barantini
Grace Ofori-Attah
30 April 2023 (2023-04-30)
4.54
3
"Episode 3"
Philip Barantini
Grace Ofori-Attah
7 May 2023 (2023-05-07)
3.60
4
"Episode 4"
Philip Barantini
Grace Ofori-Attah
14 May 2023 (2023-05-14)
3.70
5
"Episode 5"
Philip Barantini
Grace Ofori-Attah
21 May 2023 (2023-05-21)
3.78
Reception
Lucy Mangan of The Guardian awarded the first episode four stars out of five, praising the writing and topicality of the series.[5] Anita Singh in The Telegraph also gave it four stars out of five, highlighting the quality of the acting.[6] Sean O'Grady from The Independent gave the first episode three out of five stars, commending the fusion of hospital drama with a style of police procedurals, but found Lucinda Edwards unengaging as a protagonist.[7]
