Malpractice returned to our screens last night (Sunday, May 4), following its smash hit first series back in 2023.
However, viewers of the ITV drama were left scratching their heads over a plot detail during the series two premiere…
Malpractice season 2 debuts on ITV
Last night saw the series two premiere of Malpractice air on ITV1.
The drama, written by former NHS doctor Grace Ofori-Attah, follows Tom Hughes’ character, Dr James Ford, a Psychiatric Registrar.
In last night’s episode, Dr. Ford was pulled in two directions. He was asked to do both a postnatal check-up on new mother Rosie and be there while a drug-addicted pregnant woman was sectioned.
Dr. Ford quickly assessed Rosie before instructing a colleague to prescribe her a sedative. He then rushed off to another call. However, tragedy soon struck.
In the early hours of the morning, Rosie was back in the hospital. The new mother was totally inconsolable, lashing out at police and staff.
Dr. Ford was called, and when he arrived, he found Rosie restrained with a mask on, after she had bitten an officer.
Viewers soon learned that Rosie had attempted to drown her baby.
What happened next?
After trying to de-escalate the situation and talk to Rosie to no avail, Dr. Ford approved her to be transferred somewhere where she could be looked after more securely.
Rosie was transferred there unrestrained and by just one doctor, rather than by the police.
Rosie attacked the doctor before managing to get away. She then ran off, before tragically jumping off a building.
It later emerged that she hadn’t been given enough sedative during her episode of postpartum psychosis.
It saw Dr Ford suddenly face trial for his role in the tragedy.
However, some viewers found themselves dragged out of the drama by a key plot detail…
Viewers confused by Malpractice season premiere
Fans of the show were left baffled by the fact that not only did Rosie get transferred whilst unrestrained, but that only one doctor went with her.
“She’s been freaking out so they transport her, unrestrained, via one person?” one viewer tweeted.
“Why was only one woman transferring her, considering how she’s been acting?” another asked.
“She was heavily restrained but then when she’s in [the] wheelchair, she’s free to run away,” a third wrote.
“They have just undermined an important story focusing on mental health and in particular postnatal depression by having a previously heavily restrained patient wheeled out by one person unrestrained! Even in our current broken NHS that would not happen. Where was the ambulance?” another said.
“I get the point they are trying to make but as someone who has worked in a secure unit, she would not have been taken straight out of the restraints, unmedicated, and the roof would not be accessible,” a fifth added.
However, there was plenty of praise for the new series. “#Malpractice series 2 is already off to a great start after last nights premiere,” one viewer tweeted.
“Promising albeit rather grim start #Malpractice,” another said.
Read more: Why Malpractice star Niamh Algar didn’t return for new series of ITV’s medical drama
Malpractice continues tonight (Monday, May 5) at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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