999 Critical Condition: Farmer looks on bright side and thanks UHNM after being hit by a lorry

University Hospitals of North Midlands gripping documentary continues tomorrow (Thursday) charting the life and death decisions of the clinical teams at its major trauma centre.

In the fifth episode farmer Chris Jones is flown to the Royal Stoke University Hospital by air ambulance after being hit by a lorry while stopping a cow run into the A5 in Welshpool.

Today the 55-year-old said there would be nowhere he would want to be treated in the UK after emergency teams battled to save his life.

He said: “It was the most horrific day and was torrential rain and one of the cows got out. I could see the lorry coming and just wanted to get it out of the way. I managed it but then jumped on the quad bike to move out of the way but because it was so wet it just kept spinning and I was hit by the lorry.”

Chris, of Welshpool, was knocked out following the impact with the lorry and suffered injuries to both sides of his head and a collapsed lung. He said: “Once I was in hospital I was quite frightened about not being able to breathe but once my lung was inflated again, I felt much better. The care was fantastic from everyone and there is absolutely nowhere in the country you would want to go or need to be if you are involved in any kind of accident.”

The keen motorcyclist has not let the accident stop him and still regularly goes out on his motorbike as well as uses the quad bike when he’s out in the fields.

“I really believe that when your time is up, your time is up and people have got off a lot worse than me in much smaller accidents. I was exceptionally lucky and have to look on the bright side because I am still here,” he said.

As a specialist major trauma centre, the Royal Stoke treats patients from across rural mid and North Wales and Thursday’s episode also features a patient who has been trampled by a cow.

Trauma Team Leader Dr Chris Pickering also deals with a patient who has been stabbed multiple times and must quickly work out the trajectory of the knives used and how severe the internal injuries are.

A 38-year-old mother who has had a stroke in her sleep is airlifted to Royal Stoke features too highlighting the dangers of stroke among young people.