New Barts series: all you need to know
A brand‑new TV series opens the doors to over 900 years of medical history, innovation and human stories at St Bartholomew’s Hospital.
Episode 1 of Alice Roberts: Our Hospital Through Time aired on 18 February, with new episodes every week across six weeks.
All episodes will also be available to stream online, so viewers can catch up on episodes 1-4 now at their convenience.
What’s it about?
Across this six‑part series, Professor Alice Roberts explores St Bartholomew’s Hospital, where care has been provided to Londoners continuously since 1123.
Rather than a straightforward history programme, the series moves between centuries, from medieval manuscripts and early medical practices to modern surgery and everyday hospital life. As Roberts explains, the series allowed her "to cover the contemporary hospital, modern treatments… and explore a lot of history that is Barts’ history."
It’s also a chance to celebrate the people working behind the scenes today: the clinicians, technicians and support staff who keep our Trust running every day.
What does our presenter say?
Roberts says the interplay of past and present is what sets the series apart: "I have not seen a series like Barts before. I’m very proud of this series… and I hope we might go back because there are more stories to tell."
What do the critics say?
Both Heat and TV Times have given the series four stars, and it has been selected as Victoria Segal’s Critic’s Choice in The Times.
TV Times writes: "The contrast between Barts’ groundbreaking cardiac centre and tales of more rustic past treatments makes it feel like we’re getting two shows for the price of one."
What's the reaction been online?
We’ve seen a fantastic reaction online. There have been hundreds of lovely comments and messages, and several clips have been shared thousands of times. One clip alone has been viewed over a million times - making it the most‑viewed video in Barts Health’s history. You can see all the latest posts and reactions on our Instagram.
Where can I watch the trailer?
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