The tireless work of Holby City Hospital’s paramedics is put under the spotlight this week (Saturday, December 10 2022 at 8.10pm on BBC One) in a format-breaking, fully improvised episode of Casualty.
The special episode will follow four days in the lives of paramedics Jan Jenning (Di Botcher), Iain Dean (Michael Stevenson), Teddy Gowan (Milo Clarke) and Sah Brockner (Arin Smethurst) as they feel the strain of an NHS at breaking point.
As our first responders are stretched to the limit dealing with back-to-back accidents, emergencies, 'frequent flyers' and time-wasters, Jan makes an error that has tragic consequences and Teddy risks his own life to save a patient.
Here Milo, who plays Teddy, lifts the lid on filming the ground-breaking episode…
This is a very different episode for Casualty. What can you tell us?
"It's a format-breaking episode in that it’s shot in a 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!"
What scenes were particularly challenging to film?
"There's one scene where Teddy has to face a guy, Scott Baker, who's having a psychotic breakdown and he’s got a knife. Our director didn’t want me to meet the guest actor, Lucas Button, beforehand so that 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. So the very first time I see Lucas, he’s holding a knife and screaming at me through a door and, as Teddy, I have to carefully approach him and talk him round. It was exciting... but terrifying!"
The episode highlights the range of skills required to be a paramedic...
"We always have real paramedics on hand during filming; we couldn't make this show without them. 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."
What are the wider challenges facing paramedics that are explored in this episode?
"The overarching theme is cuts to NHS funding. In the episode, there's a social media influencer called Nicky, whose injuries aren't life-threatening but she's complaining over 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 Nicky. She makes it clear they're all working towards the same goal; the NHS, paramedics, doctors, nurses, they're not working against people, they're working for them. We all wish it wasn't this way but it is."
Although the call-outs are serious, the team lightens the mood with some lively banter...
"That's life, isn't it? For moments to hit hard and for things to really matter, lighter moments give it buoyancy. There's one scene where Iain and Teddy drop a patient off in the ED and they're like: 'Right, let's get a bacon butty.' But then, straight away, they're back out on another job. The truth is, these paramedics are probably starving most of the time."
What do you hope viewers take away from this episode?
"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; like people not calling 999 saying they can't breathe, so that 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'm passed out!"
Catch this episode of Casualty on Saturday, December 10 at 8.10 pm on BBC One.
