Dr. Johnny Marshall said in this week's Scrubbing Up column that reality TV shows are failing to provide a clear picture of how the NHS works. Dr. Marshall is from the NHS Confederation.

In recent years, reality shows on NHS services have become quite popular. One Born Every Minute, 24 Hours in A&E, Keeping Britain Alive and Junior Doctors are some of them.

These programmes are a great source to gain amazing insights into the tireless work of NHS staff and the joys and problems of patients and their families. A health service is shown by them as a place where doctors felt proud to work in and determined to work with despite mounting pressures on it.

However, he said to have a fear that reality shows unintentionally brace a perception among public that hospitals are the best regardless of their standards. They admire those hospitals and services without considering alternatives.

According to him, hospitals are only one part of the modern NHS history, and there is a need to shift the focus from hospitals towards community services.

There are many community-based services that are life saving and contribute to reduce the death rates by as much as 50%. They are not glamorous but play a significant role in saving lives of many people.