TV Scope I have to admit to having a soft spot for television programmes of a medical nature. However, they have to meet certain criteria before they can be included on my 'regulars' list. A good example would be Scrubs or ER, both of which have the required ingredients: a combination of fiction, gore and subtle humour with the bonus of a couple of good-looking docs, writes Marion Kerr.
In contrast, documentaries that highlight the inadequacies and inequalities in our health system usually leave me so annoyed that an attack of migraine is unavoidable. So purely on health grounds, I avoid them!
I was therefore a little less than enthusiastic as I sat down to view Our Lady's, a documentary series on the hospital for sick children in Crumlin. But it did not take me too long to change my mind.
The opening scene was of the hospital as dawn crept in. Baby Theo was awaiting emergency surgery for a life-threatening cardiac condition.
His young parents stayed with him throughout the night as he slept, their anxiety and exhaustion palpable as they stroked his face. Soon they would have to carry him to the operating theatre for his ordeal.
They kissed him goodbye while the staff reassured them that they would take "very good care of him".
It is truly an awful moment when you have to entrust your sedated child to the care of the theatre staff. The shot of Theo's parents walking from the theatre captures the overwhelming feelings of despair and helplessness that wash over every parent who has had to do this.
Dr Mark Redmond and his team worked for six hours to successfully repair Theo's cardiac problems. His parents were overcome with emotion and exhaustion. Theo's dad described wanting to "jump up and wrap his legs around Mr Redmond and hug him" such was his joy. And who could blame him?
Next we met Dillon. A solemn two-and-a-half year old, he suffers from a particularly nasty form of cancer. Having already endured some treatment for his cancer he now had to face the most difficult part - a stem cell transfusion followed by a course of radiotherapy. We were told it would be unpleasant and he was likely to experience side effects. Although he did become distressed, his mother's presence and the gentleness of the staff ensured that he recovered his composure very quickly. A stoic little fellow, it was hard not to be touched by his bravery.
Dr Anne O'Meara, a consultant oncologist at the hospital, spoke of the frustrations of inadequate State funding. Because Our Lady's has a good track record of voluntary fund-raising, the Department of Health expects this money to go towards running costs, instead of it going where it is needed most, into research.
And finally we met Ian Evans. A feisty 10-year-old, Ian suffers from cystic fibrosis and has endured multiple admission to hospital every year as a result. Caroline, his mother - who is expecting her third child - is constantly on hand to care for him.
It is all too easy to forget the enormous impact childhood illness has on lives. Not only on the individual child's life, but its repercussions on all involved. Parents, siblings, grandparents, friends and healthcare staff are all influenced and changed by the experience.
Our Lady's is compelling viewing and deserves praise for its honest yet unsensational handling of such an emotive subject.
Marion Kerr is an occupational therapist