Think you have the solution to NHS funding shortfalls? Think again. John lands in the middle of the problem when he’s stretchered into A&E at NHS Trust Terminal Five, sponsored by Volvo. After being pulled from a river, he can’t recall if he was pushed, fell, or jumped. Why did he leave his lover, Megan, and make such a reckless choice?

Once inside the hospital, John discovers a world where patients unfit for purpose are in trouble, and hospital staff—including suspiciously glassy-eyed nursing assistants—seem to have sinister roles. There’s even a rock band, The Day Trippers, for entertainment. In trying to save the hospital from government bailiffs, resuscitation takes on an unsettling, creative twist.

Burdick’s surreal, shocking, and darkly funny novel takes a satirical dive into the future of healthcare, where survival of the fittest is taken literally. You’ve been warned—this isn’t your usual hospital drama.