As the third episode of Malpractice begins, Dr. Lucinda Edwards (Niamh Algar) wakes up and begins searching frantically for pills. George Adjei (Jordan Kouame) tells Norma Callahan (Helen Behan) that Lucinda’s phone records arrived yesterday. He found that the same number that called her before Edith’s visit also called before Alexander Taylor arrived at the A&E with a deliberate overdose. It happened again when Camilla Woodham overdosed. George checked with the 999 call center and found that both overdoses were called in by that number. They did not call before Milo though. George is already working on finding a possible link between the overdose patients.

Lucinda and Ramya Morgan (Priyanka Patel) go over everything with Dr. Willett. They’re warned that Edith’s dad Anthony Owusu (Brian Bovell) used to be a barrister and will be acting as the family’s legal representation. This is just a fact-finding exercise to help the coroner determine the exact cause of death. If the coroner concludes it was medical negligence, it could open them up to lawsuits from the family. The police could also get involved. If it is ruled a suicide, the hospital will look less responsible. During the hearing, Margot Owusu (Nicola Wright) is asked about Edith’s mental state around the time of her death. They had no reason to think she was using drugs and there was no sign of suicidal tendencies.

Verity Roberts is asked if she has any questions since she is the legal counsel for West Yorkshire Royal Hospital. When she asks Margot about Edith’s new job, she is told that Edith was excited about her new job. Margot doesn’t believe she was trying to kill herself. Verity wants to play part of the 999 call that was made on the night Edith died. In the recording, the caller says he thinks Edith has tried to kill herself. Margot doesn’t know the friend and has never heard his voice before. She was popular so it was hard to keep up with everyone. Verity suggests Edith hid her drug use and suicidal thoughts during those last days. Margot remains convinced it was not suicide. She says the hospital missed an opportunity to save Edith’s life.

George goes through Alexander’s paperwork and learns about the Guelder Clinic. During the hearing, an expert mentions that Edith had signs of opioid abuse and that contributed to her death. High levels of fentanyl were found in Edith’s blood. She cannot say whether the overdose was accidental or deliberate. Dr. Adeyemi steps down after finishing with the questions. Dr. Eva Tait (Georgina Rich) is the next witness to take the stand. It is explained that she was Edith’s addiction consultant at the Guelder Clinic from May to October 2021. Eva says Edith had a complex history of drug misuse and wanted to be free of it. Edith was abstinent when she left the clinic although she could have relapsed. The risk of relapse for opiate addicts is high.

Eva is asked if Edith if expressed suicidal tendencies. She admits that she did so they did extensive work on her negative thoughts and core beliefs. Lucinda follows her out and asks why she didn’t say she knew Edith from the Guelder Clinic. Lucinda says they’re there because Rob prescribed Edith fentanyl and she died, but Eva reminds her that she can’t prove that. Lucinda thought Rob was giving her methadone. Eva argues that Edith wasn’t her patient when she died and hadn’t seen her for months. Rob called Lucinda because he wanted to make sure no one looked into his prescribed. He was covering up what they were doing. Lucinda asks how Rob knew Camilla, Alexander, and the others.

She says they were all being treated at the Guelder Clinic. Eva says she has done nothing wrong, but Lucinda has covered up at least three overdoses for Rob. Eva reminds her that she is an addict too. She wonders what the MIU would think of that. Eva warns her that she won’t have a choice if she doesn’t stop pointing the finger at them. She suspects Lucinda is due a refill and she could’ve helped her if she would’ve stopped pointing the finger at them. George tells Norma that there is nothing to indicate Lucinda knew the overdose patients. He mentions that Camilla and Alexander detoxed at the Guelder Clinic. He agrees to go there tomorrow to see if there is a connection to Lucinda.

Lucinda tries to get in touch with Camilla to see if she’d like to book an appointment. Matron Beth Relph (Hannah Walter) is questioned during the hearing. Sir Anthony Owusu asks her whether Dr. Edwards delayed Deith’s transfer for no reason. Beth denies that she said Edith was just a junkie. Then, Ramya Morgan takes the stand. Anthony asks her to take them through her involvement in Edith’s A&E care. Ramya says she was bleeped to Resus to watch Edith. When Lucinda came back, Ramya thought she would continue looking after Edith. Instead, she found out that Patient X needed Edith’s bed and she was going to Majors with Edith. Ramya goes over the treatment plan Lucinda gave her. After the naloxone was given, Edith’s respiratory rate improved.

Ramya returned to Resus. Anthony asks her whether she thought about staying and observing to see if the improvement would be maintained. He asks her about how quickly the initial effects of naloxone can wear off. Ramya didn’t know at the time and has only been a qualified doctor for about 18 months. Anthony tells her that Lucinda Edwards questioned why she wasn’t with the overdose patient when she returned. Ramya claims Dr. Edwards never said she needed to say longer in case the naloxone stopped working. Anthony asks if Lucinda was lying. Ramya can only tell him what she remembers. She explains that A&E is hectic and patients often turn up with conditions that you don’t know how to treat.

You have to rely on your seniors for the support to work safely. Anthony suggests things could’ve been different if she’d only waited a few minutes longer. He accuses Ramya of leaving Edith there to die before the questions end. In private, Dr. Mike Willett (Tristan Sturrock) complains about this being damaging to the trust. Lucinda thinks Ramya threw her under the bus. Willett tells Dr. Leo Harris (James Purefoy) that he needs to control his juniors. Verity tries to calm them because they can still recover from this. She admits it is all going to depend on Lucinda though. When Lucinda takes the stand, she says a psychiatrist should determine whether a patient tried to deliberately kill themselves.

Edith had deliberately overdosed before and past behavior often predicts future behavior. Lucinda explains that she usually marks it as deliberate to ensure that the patient is reviewed by psychiatry prior to discharge. Then, she discusses when she became aware of a problem with Edith. She explains what happened before Sir Anthony is allowed to ask her questions. He asks her about Dr. Ramya Morgan forgetting instructions. Lucinda explains it was in a real-life, high-pressure situation. He says Ramya remembered more complex details so Lucinda’s instructions may not have been clear. Lucinda says she wasn’t listening. She was reluctant to leave Edith with Ramya, but she had no choice and had to make a decision.

Anthony accuses her of leaving Edith with a doctor whose incompetence has been shown today. He argues that her choice killed Edith so she is guilty of gross negligence. Anthony is reminded that he can’t accuse witnesses of criminal offenses they’re not on trial for. He tells Lucinda that she treated his daughter without diligence or due care. They’re told they will reconvene in three hours. Lucinda tries to tell Sir Anthony that she is sorry for his loss, but he leaves without responding. She goes to the pharmacy to buy a bottle of Night Soothe and one-a-night. Lucinda is warned that they shouldn’t be taken together because they both contain diphenhydramine. She begins taking them as soon as she leaves. Beth Relph returns to work and speaks to Oscar Beattie (Scott Chambers) who is still doing the audit.

Beth claims no one wastes medication there, but Oscar isn’t sure about that. He tells her about the patient that Ramya saw with Lucinda and how she needed 10 MG and got 40 MG. Beth thinks that was a Ramya cock up. She reminds him that he has to take the amount that is actually needed when taking medication from the store. George goes to the Guelder Clinic to see if there is a connection between Lucinda Edwards and the overdose patients. Lucinda has never worked there or received a referral from her. George asks about getting the notes for the patients in question. Besides Edith Owusu, the other patients were treated by doctors other than Eva Tait.

Eva is on maternity leave and hasn’t worked there for six months. The patients were drug-free when they left and they didn’t need to come back. George isn’t sure considering those patients relapsed and overdosed. The receptionist explains that no complaints have ever been made against the Guelder Clinic. John Delaney-Clark (Bill Blackwood) says it is impossible to know whether Edith deliberately overdosed or did so accidentally. He finds it unacceptable that a doctor working in the A&E should be reliant on instruction from a senior to correctly treat an opioid overdose. He thinks there is something amiss in the training of junior doctors within the Royal Hospital’s A&E department.

He will write a report recommending the trust review its medical education program. In the bathroom, Lucinda asks Norma if she is happy now. Edith’s death wasn’t her fault so she hopes Norma is done. Norma reminds her that this isn’t how it works. As Lucinda steps outside, she sees Anthony Owusu crying with his wife. Ramya tells Oscar he was lucky to get out of it. She always tries her best, but she keeps getting shat on. She thinks he should’ve recycled last year’s audit like the rest of them. Beth interrupts to scold Ramya for making so many mistakes. When Oscar tells her about the dosage issue, Ramya says Lucinda told her to get 40mg even though she questioned it at the time.

He tells her not to worry about it because Beth will get over it. Norma and George go over the evidence and discuss the fact that the patients all overdosed. Norma remembers Lucinda said she changed Edith’s code to deliberate to ensure she got a psych review. She suggests she just didn’t want anyone to know it was an accident because someone would’ve looked at what caused the accident. They think the drugs could be the key. Edith’s parents said she stopped buying street drugs so she had to be getting them somewhere else. They visit Edith’s parents to speak to them about the drugs and where Edith might’ve obtained the drugs. Lucinda plays with Abi (Liberty Miller) at home.

She receives a message from Camilla Woodham (Lucy Martin) saying she has run out of drugs. Lucinda calls her back and pretends to be the doctor who took over for Rob before they agree to meet at Southern Square. Tom (Lorne MacFadyen) agrees to watch Abi so Lucinda can leave home. Anthony gives George and Norma the key to Edith’s flat. While they search the flat, Camilla tells Lucinda that she was 50 fentanyl patches. That should be enough for a month according to what Rob prescribes her. Lucinda gives her a week’s prescription and asks how she pays Rob. Camilla says she pays the pharmacy like she usually does. George finds what looks like a prescription with Lucinda’s name on it.

Tom finds Abi knocked out and holding the pill packet. He tries to call Lucinda who doesn’t answer. Tom rushes his daughter to the hospital. He tells Leo that he thinks Abi got ahold of some diazepam. He admits he had a shoulder injury and a prescription for the medication. Tom calls Lucinda again as she follows Camilla. Lucinda approaches the pharmacist and asks to speak to his manager because she knows Camilla paid him extra. She claims she only wants to meet them and doesn’t want to cause trouble. Lucinda finally gets the messages from Tom and realizes what has happened. The pharmacist tells her that the manager is waiting in the back. Lucinda freaks out and leaves. The manager walks out of the pharmacy as Lucinda runs away.

 

Malpractice Review

The third episode of Malpractice focused mostly on the hearing into Edith’s death with the conclusion partially clearing Lucinda, but Norma’s investigation picks up steam. Besides the shaky camera, the series was created well enough with good performances, sufficient lighting, and a simple soundtrack. Unfortunately, the story is a little all over the place, unbelievable, and a bit too complicated.

The series should’ve narrowed its focus so it could’ve stayed on point from start to finish. With so much going on, it is hard to get invested in any of the storylines. It doesn’t help that the characters aren’t particularly likable. The writers probably intended for viewers to get behind Edith and want her to receive justice, but the lack of information around the character didn’t help.

There doesn’t seem to be enough reason to really cheer for any of the characters so finishing the series will only be about seeing the outcome and not fretting over the characters’ futures. There are still a few episodes left so Malpractice can still transform into an emotionally gripping ride, especially if the finale ends on a high note. This episode scores a 5 out of 10. Recaps of Malpractice can be found on Reel Mockery here.

Learn how to support our independent site at this link. Find out how to advertise on Reel Mockery here.