BBC ‘Ambulance’ Producer Sues, Alleging “Psychiatric Accidents”

EXCLUSIVE: Peter Wallis-Tayler, a former government producer on Ambulance, is suing the Banijay-owned manufacturing firm behind the BAFTA-winning BBC documentary collection, alleging that the present broken his psychological well being.

Wallis-Tayler has launched Excessive Court docket authorized proceedings towards Dragonfly Movie & Tv, claiming that he suffered “psychiatric accidents” after experiencing “work-related stressors and traumatic incidents” with out ample protections. Banijay UK strongly refutes the allegations and stands by its welfare procedures.

Wallis-Tayler, who’s credited with engaged on 70 episodes of Christopher Eccleston-narrated Ambulance, is in search of damages of greater than £200,000 ($270,000), based on a authorized submitting seen by Deadline.

“The defendant was on discover of the claimant’s psychological vulnerability stemming from his persistent and unsupported publicity to work-related stressors and traumatic incidents,” Wallis-Tayler’s criticism stated.

“However this data, the defendant didn’t take ample steps to guard the claimant from foreseeable hurt, leading to a negligent breach of the obligation of care. Because of this negligent breach, the claimant has suffered psychiatric accidents and consequential losses.”

Thomas Beale, a associate and head of bullying and harassment at Bolt Burdon Kemp, stated: “We will affirm that these proceedings relate to Mr Wallis-Tayler’s work on BBC One’s Ambulance. Past that, Mr Wallis-Tayler is presently too unwell to remark due to the psychiatric accidents that type a part of the proceedings.”

A Banijay UK spokesperson stated: “While we can’t touch upon the particular particulars of the declare, we strongly refute any suggestion that the Dragonfly manufacturing groups undertake these roles, together with on the collection of Ambulance, with out in depth and complete coaching from skilled professionals within the discipline and ongoing specialist assist earlier than, throughout and after filming.  The welfare of our employees is at all times our precedence.”

A BBC spokesperson stated the company doesn’t touch upon particular person issues.

The lawsuit spotlights ongoing business considerations concerning the psychological well being of crew and producers, together with these engaged on documentaries coping with traumatic topic issues. The UK Movie & TV Charity’s 2024 Trying Glass Survey discovered that 64% of 4,300 respondents had been contemplating leaving the business as a result of considerations about psychological well being.

When documentary producer John Balson died by suicide in 2024, having beforehand cited “work-related stress” to well being professionals, the Affiliation of True Crime Producers and Movie & TV Welfare Affiliation launched to assist crew members.

Following life and demise tales on the frontline of the UK’s well being service, Ambulance launched on BBC One in 2016 and has run for 16 seasons, profitable a BAFTA for Finest Factual Collection in 2018. Wallis-Tayler labored on the present for years, rising to turn into government producer from Season 7 to Season 12.