Two patients await life-saving surgery at St Mary's in Paddington, the biggest of five hospitals in the Trust. They both need a bed on the intensive care ward. But the hospital is full to capacity and there is only one bed left.
While the hospital tries to discharge patients, new ones continue to arrive. Peter Lai, a 60 year old retired software engineer arrives at the hospital for a lifesaving operation on an aortic aneurysm in his chest.