Front-line HEROES
MILO CLARKE on a special episode following Holby City Hospital’s first responders
‘THOSE WHO DO THIS JOB FOR REAL HAVE MY UTMOST RESPECT’
CASUALTY SATURDAY, 8.10PM, BBC1 DRAMA
The paramedics of BBC1’S ever-popular medical drama Casualty find themselves at the heart of the action this week in another special episode dedicated to their tireless work.
In an improvised instalment (set to air this Saturday but subject to change depending on the World Cup schedule), the plot follows four days in the lives of fan favourites Teddy Gowan (Milo Clarke), Jan Jenning
(played by Di Botcher), Iain Dean (Michael Stevenson) and Sah Brockner (Arin Smethurst) as they are stretched to the limit with back-to-back emergencies.
Here, in an exclusive interview Milo gives TV Times his take on this landmark story…
This is a rather different episode for the show. What can you tell us?
It’s format-breaking as it’s shot in documentary-style. Casualty usually focuses on the big stunts but, here, you see the whole spectrum of what the paramedics have to deal with on a daily basis.
It was the closest I’ve ever felt to being a real paramedic – and the fact the episode was entirely improvised kept us on our toes. It felt like live theatre!
Were any scenes particularly challenging to film?
In one scene, Teddy has to face a guy, Scott Baker, who’s having a psychotic breakdown and has got a knife. Our director didn’t want me to meet the guest actor, Lucas Button, beforehand, so we didn’t know how each of us would react. This is exactly how things would be for a paramedic like Teddy attending a call in real life. It was exciting but also terrifying.
This episode showcases the range of skills required to be a paramedic, doesn’t it?
Yes, we always have real paramedics on hand during filming. Some of the stories they tell us… you wouldn’t believe what they have to do. It’s not just medicine – it’s the physical demands of giving someone chest compressions, it’s dealing with relatives, or being like a mediator or social worker.
The biggest skill they have is their ability to make people feel safe and calm. Those who do this job for real have my utmost respect.
Wider challenges facing paramedics are also explored in this episode…
The overarching theme is cuts to NHS funding. In the episode, there’s a social-media influencer, Nikki, whose injuries aren’t lifethreatening but she’s complaining about having to wait in the ambulance to be seen as there’s a backlog. After enduring the week from hell, Jan snaps and has a bit of a rant at Nikki. She says that the NHS, paramedics, doctors and nurses all are working towards the same goal, and that they’re not working against people, they’re working for them. We all wish it wasn’t this way but it is.
What do you hope viewers take away from watching this special?
I hope people will understand the pressure on the NHS and what we can all do as individuals and as a country to help out. For example, like people not calling 999 saying they can’t breathe, so an ambulance arrives quicker.
Paramedics are genuinely real-life heroes. They’re the people on the ground who give you that sign of hope when they arrive on the scene and you know they’re there to help. But the episode also shows that paramedics see a lot in their job, which must take a toll on them mentally, emotionally and physically. They’re only human.
Do you think it’s a job you could do in real life?
I’d love to because I like helping people, but I’m a bit squeamish… I don’t know how much help I’d be if I passed out!