Billy Monger and NUH Surgeon to feature in BBC documentary: ‘Driven’

A documentary featuring Billy Monger – the 19-year-old who was treated at Queen’s Medical Centre’s East Midlands Major Trauma Centre after a devastating racing accident which resulted in both of his legs being amputated – will broadcast on BBC Two on Monday evening (19 Nov).

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Queen’s Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital, gave BBC exclusive access to the clinical team who looked after Billy in the aftermath of his accident, and these interviews and moments, including Billy returning to the hospital for the first time after his accident, will feature in the documentary.

The documentary - to be aired at 9am on Monday on BBC Two - features an interview with Tony Westbrook, one of NUH’s Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeons, who was Billy’s named consultant when he was under our care.

Tony said: “What Billy has achieved since his accident is nothing short of remarkable. He is an inspirational young man who is full of ambition and positivity. His accident has made him even more determined to fulfil his dreams. Billy and his family remain good friends of our hospitals and we continue to monitor his progress and achievements, proud of how far he has come since we cared for him in Nottingham back in 2017, when he spent almost three weeks receiving treatment at QMC.”

The documentary – called ‘Driven’ – will show how Billy got back into racing in the hope of becoming the first ever amputee to race competitively in a single-seater racing car. With exclusive access to document his return to racing after the horrific crash at Donington Park, it follows Billy and his family, as he pursues his dream to one day race in Formula One. With the support of the racing community and his hero, Lewis Hamilton, Billy will have to change the rules of motorsport and learn to drive again without legs, whilst coming to terms with life as a disabled person - a term Billy is reluctant to accept.

This heart-warming and inspirational story is about the incredible will of one young man; but also the extraordinary support his family provides during the toughest time of their lives.

The East Midlands Major Trauma Centre is the busiest in the country with the strongest clinical outcomes. Since it opened in 2012, 10,124 patients have been treated at the East Midlands Major Trauma Centre and over 600 lives saved. It is one of a national network of specialist centres which concentrate expertise and resources to give the best possible care, including intensive care and brain surgery. Ambulance crews are now trained to bring the most seriously-injured patients to the Major Trauma Centre rather than to their local Emergency Department. The catchment area the Major Trauma Centre covers is 4million. On average there are 18 major trauma patients admitted to our Adult Intensive Care a month.

The documentary is on BBC Two on Monday (19 Nov) at 9pm.