23 Jul 2025
Netflix’s new documentary series, Critical: Between Life and Death, has been released today (23 July 2025), focusing on the work of London’s trauma network as it treats the most severely injured people in the capital.
The series offers an exclusive insight into the high-pressure work of our paramedics and doctors, as they provide complex medical care on scene to give the patient the best chance of survival.
Filming took place across London and the South East in six hospitals, with London’s Air Ambulance, London Ambulance Service (LAS) and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust all featuring as the series portrays the collaboration of the trauma network.
Working closely with our first response colleagues is imperative to our work – on scene our doctor and paramedic teams work with LAS paramedics to deliver hospital-level care when it’s needed most. This includes administering blood transfusions, performing open chest surgery and inducing patients into a comas on scene. In London, only our teams can provide this level of intervention: we can save lives where others can’t.
In the first episode of Critical, you can see our Dr Dom Krzanicki and Paramedic Pete Dalton dispatched to a report of a fairground ride collapse in south London. The series offers an incredible opportunity to watch one of our missions in action, showcasing the unique skills that we can use to make a difference.
Paramedic Pete Dalton, who is featured in Netflix’s Critical, said: “During the flight I knew that multiple people were injured and I was thinking about how Dom and I would ensure that every patient got the right care. I didn’t try to think too much about the call on the way to scene, as often, things are never as you expect.
“London’s Air Ambulance is able to provide life-saving interventions in the very early stages following serious traumatic injury. Bringing advanced life-saving interventions to the scene, early after injury has occurred, gives patients the best chance of survival.
“Unless anyone ever needs London’s Air Ambulance as a patient, the reality of the work the charity undertakes every day is never really understood by the public. That’s why we value being involved in documentaries like Netflix’s Critical.”
You can watch a clip from Critical here!
London’s trauma network launched in 2010 in response to continued poor outcomes for trauma patients in the UK. Since then, survival rates for major trauma patients have improved and rehabilitation has been enhanced. To see how we’ve contributed to the development of pre-hospital care, you can browse our history timeline here.
We’re thrilled to be showcased in Netflix’s Critical and hope you enjoy seeing your donations in action. We’re a charity and we can only be there on someone’s worst day thanks to your ongoing support. Help us continue to serve London, today, tomorrow, always.