Features
The real-life Charlie Fairhead: how my career inspired Casualty’s most enduring character
Gary Jones talks about how it feels to have his nursing career portrayed on the small screen

Gary Jones talks about how it feels to have his nursing career portrayed on the small screen
Back in 1986 a new television drama was screened for the first time.
Set in a fictional English hospital, Casualty aimed to show the life of an emergency department and those who worked there. Now in its 35th year, the show is thought to be the longest-running emergency medical drama series in the world.
Nurses were keen to be accurately portrayed on TV
But when it first aired on BBC One, it’s fair to say that not everyone was impressed.
‘It was the story
Want to read more?
Unlock full access to RCNi Plus today
Save over 50% on your first three months:
- Customisable clinical dashboard featuring 200+ topics
- Unlimited online access to all 10 RCNi Journals including Nursing Management
- RCNi Learning featuring 180+ RCN accredited learning modules
- NMC-compliant RCNi Portfolio to build evidence for revalidation
- Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
Already registered or subscribed? Log in

This article is not available as part of an institutional subscription. Why is this?
