BBC2's Great Ormond Street - Part Four

Follow the stories of the Great Ormond Street patients, their families and clinical teams on BBC2 9-10pm.‘A Delicate Balance’ follows the clinical teams as they deal with some of the most difficult decisions in medicine. Modern medicine means that most children who come here will get better and leave within a short time. But some are so complex that they are dependent on technology and parents and doctors must weigh up whether it is right to continue. This film follows the multi-disciplinary teams as they make critical decisions for some of their most difficult patients.

One-year-old Maisie has never left hospital. She has an incredibly rare condition called Ondine’s Curse; when she sleeps she forgets to breathe. But recently her airways have been collapsing completely and she has needed regular intensive care.

Twelve-year-old Franceska has cerebral palsy and a severe curvature of the spine but she needs more and more technology to keep her alive - doctors and her parents must decide whether it is still in her best interests to offer more treatment.

Franceska has been in and out of hospital since birth. Read her story as told by mum Ceri.

Four-year-old Millie was rushed to intensive care with multiple organ failure and she has a complex medical history, the team must decide whether it is right to put her through intensive care when her future is so uncertain.

With each case the team face a challenging dilemma – technology could keep the body alive, but is it always appropriate?

A Delicate Balance is fourth in a series of six programmes about the hospital. You can catch up on the series on the BBC iPlayer.

Read an interview with Colin Wallis, Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine.