On Duty

Based on Beverley Provost’s original idea, On Duty was subsequently produced as a drama/documentary for Channel 4’s Eleventh Hour Series, and was about Rita Maxim’s ongoing struggle as a union shop steward with the management at St Mary’s Hospital, Harrow Road, Paddington, northwest London. Rita refused to sign the new privatisation contract imposed by the hospital management, and was subsequently summarily dismissed.

Directed by Cassie McFarlane, On Duty leans on a strong ensemble — Pearl Wilson, Michael Hamilton, Sylvester Williams — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1984.