BBC Factual examines urgent health issues in three docs for BBC Two

Plastic in Our Bodies is fronted by Liz Bonnin (centre)

BBC Specialist Factual has commissioned three single documentaries for BBC Two and iPlayer looking at some of the most urgent health issues affecting the UK.

Produced by Raw, the first doc, Emma Barnett: Endometriosis (working title, 1×60’), provides access to women undergoing treatment for the life-long disease, which affects one in 10 women of reproductive age in the UK. It is presented by journalist Barnett, who suffers with incurable condition herself.

From Little Gem (Mr Bates vs The Post Office), A Bitter Pill: The Sodium Valproate Scandal (w/t, 1×60’) reveals the largely untold medical scandal surrounding an epilepsy drug that caused birth defects and developmental problems in the babies of women encouraged to take it during pregnancy.

The final doc, Plastic in Our Bodies (w/t 1×60’), comes from Lion Television Scotland and The Open University. Presented by Liz Bonnin, the film follows a world-first experiment where scientists are dissecting a human body to better understand how much microplastic is in it, and where it is. All3Media International distributes.

Tom Coveney, head of science commissioning at the BBC, said: “Our social feeds are full of health advice and clickbait headlines, but they rarely give us the full picture of what’s going on in people’s lives across the UK.

“These powerful documentaries will get under the skin of shocking stories that are often life-changing but woefully under-reported and little understood. They’ll also highlight the work of brilliant British scientists doing ground-breaking work to help us all live happier, healthier lives.”