UHBW nurse stars in BBC Casualty’s special NHS75 episode

UHBW Nurse Bethany Pitt on BBC Casualty's NHS75 episode

A nurse from University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) has featured in a special episode of the BBC’s media drama series Casualty, marking the NHS’s 75^th anniversary.

The episode ‘How to Save a Life’, which aired on Saturday (15 July), follows a team on a typical day in the emergency department of fictional Holby City Hospital. Marking the NHS’s milestone birthday this month (July 2023), the drama aired a special standalone episode breaking away from its traditional format, featuring commentary from real-life medical professionals, including UHBW Senior Nurse Bethany Pitt.

Bristolian Nurse Pitt, who is based at the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI), said: “Being on camera is an experience that is massively out of my comfort zone, but I’ve watched Casualty since I was much younger, well before I went into nursing, and so when the opportunity arose to take part in this episode I knew I didn’t want to miss out!

 “I’ve been a nurse for just four of the 75 years of the NHS – all of my time here at the BRI - but in this time I have seen a lot of change. I really enjoyed giving my perspective on the benefits and challenges of working as a nurse over the past few years. I feel incredibly lucky that I get to work alongside so many inspirational people, and to see how everyone pulls together to overcome the challenges that we face every day. I really felt that this episode of Casualty successfully portrayed how each member of the team is crucial in the patient journey.”

The episode focusses on the fictional story of a motorbike rider who has been involved in a collision with life threatening injuries, with the aim of showcasing the extraordinary efforts made across the length and breadth of the emergency medical services to save him; from ambulance call handlers, to nurses, paramedics, doctors, surgeons and more.

Deirdre Fowler, Chief Nurse and Midwife at UHBW said: “I was thrilled to see that Bethany was featured in this piece of television history while marking the 75th year of the NHS. I was so pleased to see the vital work of nurses showcased in this iconic show. As a Trust, we’re very proud that we were invited to take part in the show. Well done to Bethany and everyone involved.”

Jon Sen, Executive Producer of Casualty for BBC Studios said: “We were thrilled when real medical professionals agreed to be interviewed to offer an insight into the highs and lows of dealing with these cases on a daily basis. In this one-off episode the audience gains a truly authentic glimpse behind the curtain to understand what it feels like to stand in the shoes of NHS professionals.”

You can watch the episode in full here – UHBW Senior Nurse Bethany Pitt is featured at 33 minutes 57 seconds.

UHBW Nurse Bethany Pitt on BBC Casualty's NHS75 episode