Possible Clues:

• Styptic thread in a hospital department
• A series on hospital department will be caustic
• Scathing, series probing a hospital department
• After trains breaking down, man is caustic
• Sharp tone in article by freelancer, for the most part, is not heartless?
• Ten labouring on a chain — harsh
• Lotion applied to the skin to make it less oily
• While wine goes round call for bitter
• Harsh call by the way to split a medical department
• Cutting cord in a hospital department