Professor Ken Hillman AO is a founding Director of the Simpson Centre for Health Services Research and the pioneer of the introduction of the Medical Emergency Team (MET), which responds to seriously ill hospital patients early in their deterioration. He is a practising medical researcher at the Institute and clinician in Intensive Care at Liverpool Hospital.

His book ‘Vital Signs’ follows the personal experiences of intensive care unit patients, their families and the struggles of staff trying to provide the best possible care in a critical care environment.

‘Vital Signs’ is an absorbing collection of stories about real, everyday people facing tragedy and uncertainty, and the manner in which they cope. With his expansive experience as an intensive care clinician, Professor Hillman takes you on a genuine, emotional journey inside an intensive care unit. At the same time, he offers a burning critique of the way modern healthcare can sometimes fail those who need help the most