The long-awaited BBC One adaptation of This Is Going To Hurt finally aired last night and the internet has been swept up in the raw emotion, humour and accuracy of the new series.

The seven-part drama – based on the Adam Kay bestselling novel of the same name – is produced by Kay and stars Skyfall’s Ben Whishaw as Kay himself.

When we watched it, we were bowled over by the sheer chaos of it all but, like the book, it managed to weave in Kay’s signature wit into every scene.

Viewers of the first episode were quick to note the same thing, and many NHS workers resoundingly praised the new series for its accurate portrayal of overworked doctors, night shifts and underfunding. 

Even the depiction of patient-doctor racism – something many of us may not be wholly aware of – was a plotline that stood out for many viewers:

The trauma within the show is what makes the drama, fans are saying:

It really did remind us all of how treasured NHS workers are and the utter chaos many of them have to work in:

And unlike many medical dramas, it didn’t shy away from the grit and hard work that goes into being a junior doctor:

While it was an actual rollercoaster of a first episode, there’s no denying that it really is a standout BBC drama:

And revelling in the overwhelming success of the first episode, Kay underlined how important the series is in other ways also:

The entire boxset of This Is Going To Hurt is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer, with episodes airing weekly on Tuesdays at 9pm.

Image: BBC