The Royal Today

Middle-class southerner Kevin Gough (Andrew Cullimore) is escorted into casualty with a large group of lads, all the worst for wear after thirty-six hours of drinking on a stag weekend. Annoyed, Kieran (Mark Wells) asks the guys to be quite and calm down. Getting away from the lads, Kieran moves onto the next cubicle to see to nineteen-year-old Hayley Fellows (Gabriella Peters). Hayley is in obvious pain and anxious that Kieran won’t leave her again. He reassures that the doctor will be there soon.

At the nurse’s station, Vijay (Pal Aron) sidles up to Heather and ask her out for a drink. Shocked by his advances, Heather (Caroline Carver) asks him what he’s doing. Not able to take any more of his chat up lines, she sends him on his way, dismayed. Heather approaches Pearl (Lisa Davina Phillip) who tells her that she can’t blame Vijay for trying now she’s free and single. Is Vijay just trying his luck or is there something more to his suggestion?

Mr Woods (Paul Nicholas) and Dr Ormerod (Andrew Scarborough) visit Dee Wilson (Paula Williamson), an attractive female patient in her thirties. Woods reveals that Dee’s results are inconclusive, but the fact that she has given up smoking may have exacerbated her ulcerative colitis. Woods informs Dee that she will need to have an operation to remove a section of the colon. However, Dee is adamant that she won’t be having any surgery. Mr Woods believes Dee is against surgery due to vanity reasons, but she assures him it’s purely business. Continuing the argument, Dee stresses the point that any surgery would impact on her career as a lap dancer. Not used to being challenged, Woods hands the matter over to Ormerod who admits to Dee that there is a non-surgical way, which might work. Determined not to have surgery, Dee is keen to hear Ormerod’s ideas.

Pamela (Fiona Dolman) makes her way to visit her patient, local hero and darts champion Eddie Trotter (Bill Rodgers), only to draw back the curtains and find his bed empty. Looking around, she notices the rest of the ward extremely quiet. When Carrie (Lucie Trickett) appears on the ward and a loud cheer goes out from elsewhere in the hospital, Pamela is sure that she knows where her patient is.

Heading out of the ward, Pamela finds the staff and patients gathered round in the kitchen as Eddie gives Sarah (Kirsty Mitchell) a darts lesson. Pamela is far from impressed to find Sarah with her patient, who should be resting after his haemorrhoidectomy. As Pamela ushers Eddie back to his bed, Norman (Steve Huison) looks on wistfully as he knows Eddie has a far worse condition than haemorrhoids, he’s suffering from Dartitis - a condition which will affect his performance as a darts player.

Norman (Steve Huison) and Kristaps (Jon Lolis) look on as Heather (Caroline Carver) and Adam (Ben Hull) arrive together, more the loving couple than ever before. As the couple draw closer, Kristaps tells them they should have an engagement party. When Heather announces that the party isn’t important and all that matters is them, Isla (Libby Davison), ever the sceptic, overhears the speech by Heather.

Walking past the happy scene, Isla grumpily tells Alana (Victoria Pritchard) that love and marriage starts all rosy in the garden but never stays that way. Alana makes the comment that Isla’s slowly turning into a grumpy old woman. Unperturbed by Alana’s comments, Isla continues to bemoan the happy couple.

Kieran (Mark Wells) and Kristaps (Jon Lolis) escort Frankie (Holly Scourfield) into casualty. Frankie is painfully thin and, on examination, Dr Ormerod (Andrew Scarborough) believes she is severely dehydrated and orders fluids to be administered. Ormerod notices that her father, Alan (Tom Lloyd Roberts), also looks unwell.

Frankie is confused and delusional as Ormerod fixes a saline drip. Alan confesses that he is aware Frankie is anorexic and that they have been getting counselling for the past seven years. As Alan strokes Frankie’s hair, it’s obvious to Ormerod that Alan is exhausted after years of guilt and sadness over Frankie’s condition. Alan later collapses outside the hospital but can Ormerod help father and daughter regain their health and happiness?

Maurice Baxter (John Flanagan), wearing a magician’s outfit complete with top hat, waits in A&E for a consultation. As Kieran (Mark Wells) begins the initial consultation, Maurice produces a bunch of flowers from his cane before having a coughing fit. After her examination of Maurice, Dr Chatwin (Kirsty Mitchell) identifies that Maurice could have pneumonia. Maurice tells Sarah that all he needs is a doctor’s note to let the theatre know he is able to perform that evening. As Sarah orders more tests, Gemma (Sophia Di Martino) escorts Maurice’s concerned glamorous assistant and girlfriend, Jacqui (Vicky Mills), onto the ward. As Maurice entertains the patients on the ward he has a coughing fit. Can the magician return to the stage that evening?

Following the party the previous night, Gemma (Sophia Di Martino) gets ready for work and brings a cup of coffee to Jamie Clay (James Nield), the physio she took home. Unable to rouse him she goes to Carrie’s (Lucie Trickett) room for help only to be confronted with Vijay (Pal Aron) when the door is opened. Not having the time to question Carrie, they try to help Jamie.

Arriving at A&E, Vijay lets Sarah (Kirsty Mitchell) know what Jamie’s symptoms are before heading off. Taking the opportunity to pull Vijay’s leg, Kieran (Mark Wells) tries to find out what happened with Carrie. Out of character for Vijay he refuses to talk about what happened and admits that Carrie is a nice girl. Why isn’t Vijay being his usual self and boasting about his latest conquest?

It’s the start of a new week at The Royal and Ormerod’s (Andrew Scarborough) first patient is the elderly Sandy Heddon (Jean Stevens). Ormerod is concerned when he realises that Sandy is very confused, especially when she begins to undress as instructed by her ‘other’ doctor. Ormerod admits Sandy onto the ward for more tests as he believes she is suffering from a condition called pernicious anaemia. Asking if Sandy understands, she tells Ormerod and Kieran (Mark Wells) that she’ll ask her ‘real’ doctor. To confuse matters further, a young girl shows up claiming to be Sandy’s granddaughter. Sandy doesn’t seem to know the girl, who claims to be called Carrie (Jodie Comer). Student nurse Carrie (Lucie Trickett) suspects the girl may not be telling the truth. Can the team at The Royal get to the bottom of Sandy’s illness, and the lies that are being told?

As the day draws to a close for the staff at The Royal, Vijay (Pal Aron) and Sarah (Kirsty Micthell) discuss the upcoming party planned for Carrie (Lucie Trickett). Sarah isn’t planning on attending, much to the disappointment of Vijay. The pair are interrupted by Kieran (Mark Wells) who escorts eighty-nine-year-old Olivia Pickering (June Broughton) into A&E.

Having suffered from a fall, Olivia is finding it hard to talk and Sarah is barely able to hear Olivia ask for Dr Ormerod (Andrew Scarborough). When Dr Chatwin brings over Jonathan, Olivia asks for Gordon, Jonathan’s father. Jonathan remembers Olivia as one of his father’s patients, from when he was a child. As the two doctors talk about Jonathan’s relationship with Olivia, Sarah sees a different side to him.

As Kieran (Mark Wells) and Ormerod (Andrew Scarborough) make their way to A&E, Ormerod yawns and admits he had a late night. Kieran says that he hasn’t slept much either; Adam’s (Ben Hull) staying with him and they spend all night talking about what has gone wrong with Heather (Caroline Carver). Moving away from personal matters, the pair look over the notes of their patient, Joyce Foster (Kitty Scopes), who was dropped off by her daughter. Eighty-four-year-old Joyce has been feeling generally unwell. Ormerod can’t understand why Joyce’s blood pressure is so slow, and he admits her for more tests.

After finding out Kristaps (Jon Lolis) was homeless and offering him a place to live, Norman (Steve Huison) and Kristaps arrive at the hospital together. Norman reassures Kristaps that he can stay with him for as long as he likes. As they make their way to the entrance, Jenny (Leah Bracknell) stops them, giving them a job to do. Jenny dumps a box of leaflets on the desk and informs Norman and Kristaps that the Hospital Trust is launching a sexual health campaign and she wants the pair of them to put up posters around the hospital.

Meanwhile, councillor Clive Forrest (Seamus O’Neill) escorts his hobbling 15-year-old daughter, Anna (Rachel Wagner), to the hospital’s walk-in clinic. Arguing on the phone to a journalist about his stance against immorality, breaking off mid-sentence, Clive tells Anna to go on without him. Much to her annoyance Anna heads off to the clinic alone.

Ormerod has to deal with a pushy mum when her daughter, Siobhan, is admitted with a serious ankle sprain. However, Ormerod and Vijay feel there is more to the injury than they have been told.

Thu 28 Feb / 3:30pm

Adam (Ben Hull) comes in, soaking wet. He was jogging down the beach when he saw a man floating in the sea. Adam pulled him out, but he is in desperate need of medical attention. When the man eventually wakes up he’s unresponsive. Jenny (Leah Bracknell) discovers that a fisherman named Danny (Conrad Nelson) has been reported missing and when Adam asks the man if he is Danny he eventually concurs. Danny confesses that he tried to kill himself to escape his debts. He’d hoped to be dead by now.

Holly (Susan McArdle), Danny’s wife, arrives with their son, and Adam takes her aside to tell her that Danny attempted suicide due to financial debts, especially as his life insurance would secure his family’s future. Holly is horrified, as well as hurt that Danny chose not to speak to her. She briefly sees her husband, but then goes to walk out. Adam urges her not to leave, but can he stop her from leaving a man who was willing to go away from her forever without any explanation?

Pearl (Lisa Davina Phillip) asks Carrie (Lucie Trickett) to prepare a bed for a Rosie Wilson (Jane Hogarth). Norman’s (Steve Husion) ears prick up and it’s obvious that he is shocked to hear the name. When Rosie comes in with her varicose veins, she quietly tells Norman that they need to talk, before introducing him to her husband Terry (Stephen Chapman). When Terry disappears for a few minutes, Rosie warns Norman that her son, Jimmy (Kirk Scargill), will be coming to visit later and that Norman mustn’t reveal that he is Jimmy’s father.

Norman tells Heather (Caroline Carver) that he’s hurt that he can’t talk to his own son, but she reminds him that he left Rosie when she told him she was pregnant and that Norman has only seen Jimmy a couple of times and that was when he was still a baby - Jimmy's 21 now.

Jenny (Leah Bracknell) is nervous as the staff at The Royal prepare for a special visitor, Ray Coombes (Martyn Whitby), a local businessman whom she hopes will invest large sums of money into a new wing.

As Ray arrives with his glamorous Footballer’s Wife style girlfriend Mandy (Emma Christie), Jenny and the team welcome them with fixed false grins. Jenny shows them around the department and it soon becomes clear that Ray is in pain. Mandy expresses her concern and, before he knows it, Ray is lying on the operating table. Ormerod (Andrew Scarborough) has diagnosed a weakened artery wall known as Abdominal Aneurysm and an emergency operation is vital. As Ray is about to go under the knife, he tells Woods (Paul Nicholas) that if he pulls through, they can have the new wing. The pressure is on as Woods prepares to save the life of a patient and the future of the hospital. Will Woods rise to the challenge?