The hit series ‘The Hospital: In the Deep End’ returns to shine a light on the heroes of our healthcare system

In the exciting new era of Hospital: Deepthree iconic young Australians step into the forefront when the stakes are high, and empathy matters. The returning series broadens its lens to explore a wider range of departments than ever before at not one, but two of the country’s busiest and best-known hospitals.

Award-winning food journalist, best-selling cookbook author, radio host and international TV personality Matt Preston, former professional tennis player, broadcaster and public speaker Jelena Dokic, and Hollywood actress, producer, and activist Ruby Rose, each arrive with a deep personal connection to the public health system, but nothing prepares them for the emotional and eye-opening experience that lies ahead.

Don’t miss powerful stories that celebrate courage, compassion, and, above all, the strength of the human spirit. The three-part series airs every Thursday from 5 March at 8:30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand.

Unparalleled behind-the-scenes hospital access

Hospitals are being pushed to their limits as demand continues to rise. Most patients presenting to Australian emergency departments are ever beforeand health workers are tired. Reports of staff shortages, nursing resignations, strikes and high standards burnout it all points to a system on the edge. But what is it really like to work on the hospital front?

Returning to St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, and, for the first time, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, the series has unprecedented access to the inner workings of these two major public hospitals. It’s an unfiltered, intimate vision beyond hospital corridors, where raw risk and power collide in life-changing moments, taking audiences through the pressure points of our health system.

From the high-pressure environment of the operating theater to the emotional toll of treating the critically ill to workplace violence, the series bears witness to the extraordinary challenges ex-servicemen face on a daily basis.

Three icons of Australia. Three powerful stories.

Although Matt Preston is best known to Australians as a food journalist and writer, audiences are about to see another side of the beloved TV personality. Matt has a deep personal interest in the federal health care system because of a tragedy in his family. When he was 20 years old, his younger brother died of SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy). Matt wants to know how far we have come in preventing deaths through SUDEP and what options are available to treat epilepsy in the public health system. At St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Matt sees a cutting-edge procedure where electrodes are inserted into a patient’s brain to find the source of their seizures.

He also spends time in one of the most challenging areas of the hospital – the intensive care unit. There, he meets an unusual staff who care for those with dementia, a condition that affected his mother. Matt also looks into robotic prostatectomy but learns that vital services for men recovering from prostate removal can be difficult to access in Australia’s public health system.

Former tennis champion and broadcaster Jelena Dokic grew up under a lot of scrutiny during her career in sports, while enduring years of abuse from her father that tore her family apart. The trauma she endured through childhood abuse and social pressure has inspired her to speak out about mental health, resilience and empowerment. In this series, Jelena is faced with reminders of her past, especially when she works with patients dealing with family abuse and domestic violence. In Australia, it is believed that one in four women have experienced domestic violence. Jelena wants to know what services are currently offered to those seeking help for mental, physical and emotional abuse. How do health workers deal with hearing this news?

Having never been to an emergency department (ED) before, Jelena has a shocking first experience when the unit is full after a weekend build-up of patients. Jelena wonders how ED staff deal with these situations when there is no relief, and their conditions are often critical. Jelena later goes to St Vincent’s Melbourne Hospital to work in the oncology department. He wants to better understand what can be done to detect and treat early lung cancer which continues to kill around 9,000 Australians each year.

Following the success of New Dark OrangeHollywood movie star Ruby Rose has landed roles in a succession of action thrillers. However, when he broke his neck during a stunt, he thought he might never walk again. Ruby knows what it’s like to be patient. But what about those who deliver care and the surgeons who perform life-changing work? Ruby is given rare access to see a spine surgery exactly like the one she underwent.

In the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Ruby works alongside specialists who care for patients with life-threatening conditions. After spending weeks in the ICU as a child after a near-fatal car accident, Ruby longs to see intensive care on the other side. There, Ruby sees the emotional toughness required of ICU workers and the pressures that make burnout a major problem in this tough field. The ICU is the most challenging environment in medicine. Only the very sick are treated here, and in Australia, about one in 12 ICU patients will not survive.

Ruby also spends time in the Indigenous Health Care Unit, an area she is interested in because of her godfather, the famous Australian boxer and Gunditjmara man, Lionel Rose. She meets a patient on the wards who was part of Stolen Generations who brings home to Ruby some of the reasons why the health care system is so distrusted among First Nations people, and how important the Aboriginal Healthcare Unit is to breaking down barriers and making public hospitals culturally safe.

Challenged by what they experience inside hospitals, Matt, Jelena and Ruby open up in a way they have never seen before. From grieving the loss of loved ones, exploring their mental health and dealing with life-changing medical issues, they are emotional, vulnerable and insightful.

Hospital: Deep is a Smashing Films production for SBS. Principal production fees from Screen Australia and SBS. Funded with the support of Screenwest and Lotterywest.

Hospital: Deep will be available with closed captioning and audio description, and is titled SBS On Demand in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Vietnamese.

Hospital: Deep starts Thursday 5 March at 8:30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand.

The first season of Hospital: Deep starring Melissa Leong, Costa Georgiadis and Samuel Johnson is available to stream for free now on SBS On Demand.

Hospital: Deep