Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust/ East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust is delighted to be once again featuring in the second series of Channel 5’s groundbreaking Cause of Death documentary, which follows real life coronial investigations and the effects it has on family members, from the moment a body arrives in the mortuary right through to inquest.
The first series, which was long-listed in the National Television Awards for Best Factual, attracted a consolidated average audience of 1.6m per episode and helped to showcase a number of medical processes, with one episode in particular that focussed on organ transplants contributing to an increase in blood donations by over 300%.
On the back of that success, Channel 5 ordered two more series, with filming taking place over the last six months at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s Royal Preston Hospital, as well as for the first time at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust. The second series will comprise of six hour-long episodes, with a third series of ten hour-long episodes to air next year.
The Candour Productions series was also filmed alongside the Coroner’s Office and Lancashire Police, following real life coronial investigations and police investigations, from the moment a body arrives in the mortuary, through to inquest, where the cause of death is determined, providing comfort to the next of kin, and guiding them through what is usually an unfamiliar process.
With unprecedented access from start to finish, using audio reconstructed from the original transcripts from behind the closed doors of inquests, Cause of Death provides a unique insight into the coronial process.
While it is a fascinating look behind usually closed doors, we are also aware that some people may find some aspects of the series upsetting. If you are affected by any of the issues raised, there are support services available at https://www.channel5.com/helplines
You can watch the trailer here and catch the first episode when it airs on Channel 5 on 8 November 2023 at 9pm.
