The real doctor behind ITV's latest Covid drama: How Oxford-educated journalist-turned-medic behind Breathtaking led criticism of the Government's handling of the pandemic with scathing tweets while o

It's the three-part ITV drama which has gripped the nation for scenes depicting the realities many frontline NHS doctors faced at the height of the pandemic. It is heavily based on the day-to-day life of Dr Rachel Clarke, a palliative care doctor who volunteered herself to the NHS frontline for almost a year and was tasked with treating patients dying of Covid on virus-riddled wards. Pictured, Dr Clarke appearing on Lorraine yesterday Dr Clarke qualified in 2009 and began working as a junior doctor, covering areas ranging from paediatrics and emergency medicine to cardiology, before making the decision in 2016 to dedicate her career to palliative care So far, Breathtaking, co-written by Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio and Prasanna Puwanarajah, has shown a heartbreaking scene of a patient being left to die in the back of an ambulance because of rules that prevented medics from giving CPR over infection fears. Dr Clarke has also hit out Health Secretary Victoria Atkins for referring to junior doctors as 'doctors in training', as if they're 'still wearing stabilisers' — despite the BMA also using the term. Dr Clarke lives with her husband, Dave, and her two children, Abbey, 10 and Finn, 14 Dr Clarke became well known on Twitter, routinely criticising politicians and warning of pressures on the NHS.