BBC Two has commissioned a sixth series of the award-winning documentary series Hospital, produced by Label1.

The commission comes off the back of the critically acclaimed two-part Hospital Special: Fighting Covid-19, which was filmed at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust from the first day of lockdown and over the peak of the pandemic. The two special episodes followed the human stories of staff and patients alike as they grappled with the extraordinary challenge of the virus.

The new 6x60' series, will return to the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust to chart the next stage of the story, as services across the NHS are reinstated following the impact of Covid-19.

With exclusive access, Hospital will continue to take viewers up close to the story, as the Royal Free London, a world-leader in the treatment of infectious diseases, tries to resume a normal service in the wake of the pandemic. With waiting lists predicted to double by the end of this year and many patients nervous of returning to hospital for urgent treatment, staff face many new challenges in rebuilding the health service.

Filmed and broadcast within weeks, Hospital tells the story of the NHS in unprecedented times, and none more unparalleled than now. The new series will air on BBC Two this autumn.

Patrick Holland, Controller, BBC Two, says: “Hospital Special: Fighting Covid-19 was one of the most candid, challenging and brilliant programmes to have documented this crisis. It has been our privilege to reflect the work of the staff and the lives of the patients at the Royal Free London and I am delighted to see the series return later this year.”

Lorraine Charker-Phillips, Executive Producer of Hospital and co-founder of Label1, says: "It was an honour to be able to document patients’ stories and the extraordinary work of the Royal Free London at the height of Covid-19 and we are delighted to be returning to shed light on their work across the trust as they begin to resume services and plan for the future"

Caroline Clarke, Royal Free London Chief Executive, says: “We are delighted to be able to continue working with Label1 and the BBC following the overwhelmingly positive response from viewers, and our staff, to Hospital Special: Fighting Covid-19. Our staff did an incredible job of showcasing the efforts taking place across the NHS in response to this devastating pandemic. Their skill, commitment, kindness and compassion were there for all to see. As we embark on the new challenge of delivering NHS services in a post Covid-19 world, we’re looking forward to continuing to share our story with the public.”

Hospital has previously filmed at the Imperial College Healthcare Trust London and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and across several Trusts in Liverpool.

Series six was commissioned by Patrick Holland, Controller, BBC Two and Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries, History and Religion. The Commissioning Editors are Emma Loach and Hamish Fergusson. It is Executive Produced by Lorraine Charker-Phillips, Simon Dickson and Jackie Waldock for Label1 Television.