'I quit the NHS to write hit TV show - here's why it gave me PTSD'

Daily Mirror

06-05-2025

Grace Ofori-Attah was a psychiatrist in NHS hospitals and left it all behind to write hit ITV thriller Malpractice. However, seeing her experiences acted out was severely traumatic
When Grace Ofori-Attah quit her job as an NHS psychiatrist to become a screenwriter, she thought she'd left the trauma of the hospital wards behind. But when she filmed the second series of her hit medical drama Malpractice, Grace felt like she was right back there.
The new series finds psychiatrist Dr James Ford, played by Tom Hughes, in a dicey situation when he's called to section a psychotic patient and assess an anxious new mother at the same time – with disastrous results.
‌
'In my medical career, I specialised in psychiatry so I drew on my experience,' says Grace. 'Dr Ford is not dissimilar to myself.' But recreating a traumatic scenario left Grace feeling like she was suffering from PTSD.
‌
'I hadn't anticipated how stressful I'd find being on a set that was similar to hospitals I've worked in,' says Grace. 'You can mentally detach yourself when you're writing the scripts, but the curse and benefit of having such a fantastic cast and crew is that they filmed them so well I felt like I was having some kind of PTSD. It took me back – but not being able to intervene, having to watch it behind camera.'
Luckily for Grace, the crew looked after her when scenes became distressing. 'I had a lot of support,' she says. 'As in, did I want to be on set for certain scenes? Would I find it distressing? Honestly, I hadn't anticipated that. I was grateful that the provision was there.'
There are newcomers, too - Am I Being Unreasonable? star Selin Hizli joins as Dr Sophia Hernandez and Zoë Telford is Dr Kate McAllister. While Jordan Kouamé returns as Dr George Adjei and Helen Behan plays Dr Norma Callahan.
When viewers first meet James, he's a confident junior doctor. 'We find James at a moment where everything seems OK,' says Tom, 40. 'He's been working at a new hospital for a relatively short period, but long enough for him to find his feet. Things are looking positive. But as the series goes on, James faces several challenges.'
‌
Playing a medic isn't easy and Tom was grateful to have Grace on hand. 'She was there to fall back on,' says Tom. 'It was Grace's medical background and real-life experience that drew me to the role.'
Selin's character Sophia is also at a tricky point in her life – she's pulled in different directions by her family and her career. From the start, she clashes with James. 'Sophia is trying to be everything to everyone,' says Selin, 36. 'She's trying to have it all, and she's starting to realise it might not be possible.'
Selin was delighted to play a doctor, but needed help beyond Grace's capacity when she filmed in the maternity ward. 'We had a midwife to talk through anything technical,' explains Selin. 'And lots of guidance from an obstetrician who was with us when we were doing the more demanding medical procedures.'
Fans were gripped by the first series set in A&E, and Helen, who plays Norma, says that while this series has a slightly slower pace, it's got more depth. 'Every department has its own drama,' says Helen, 45. 'This has been a more intense experience.'