A trio who have all worked on the medical frontline, including a nurse who has worked for the NHS for 33 years, have come out victorious in a writing competition to help progress plots in BBC drama Casualty

A district nurse who has worked for the NHS for more than 33 years has spoken of her delight after winning a writing contest to help develop storylines in long running hospital drama Casualty.

Writing duo Laura and Chris Griffiths, along with ex-medical worker Samantha Bacchus, who was inspired to pursue nursing by watching episodes of Casualty – were the winners of a BBC contest held as part of the 35th anniversary celebrations of the show.

The BBC Writers room and BBC Studios competition was launched in September last year and was the first held for the series in some 20 years, according to the BBC.

A trio of frontline medical workers have won a contest to help develop storylines on Casualty (Image: BBC/Alistair Heap)
It called for anyone with frontline medical experience to apply and competitors were asked to write and submit part of a Casualty episode based on a brief about the show’s clinical lead Dylan Keogh, played by William Beck, having the “day from hell in the ED”.

The winners will join the show’s shadow script team, giving them the opportunity to work on trial scripts for the drama.

Based on their work on the shadow scripts, for which they will be paid, the BBC have said there is the potential for more writing opportunities with the show at a later date.

Casualty follows the lives of the staff at Holby City Hospital (Image: BBC)
Samantha said: “I am utterly thrilled to have this opportunity to work with the Casualty team to develop an episode – I have been a huge fan since the series began and it inspired my decision to enter nursing.”

She was a frontline medical worker for over 15 years and worked within maternity and A&E, and on respiratory wards, before moving to the prison service as an offending behaviour programme facilitator. She is now a full time novelist.

Laura and Chris Griffiths added: “We’re delighted to have this opportunity to work with the Casualty team.

“Their enthusiasm for highlighting the challenges the NHS and its staff face daily is fantastic, and we really look forward to contributing our own voices and perspectives.”

Laura, who is currently a district nurse, has worked for the NHS for more than 33 years.

Chris began his career as a paramedic before retraining as an anaesthetic practitioner and has more recently worked within the resuscitation team, attending traumas and training doctors and nurses in CPR.

Casualty has been running since 1986 (Image: BBC)

The BBC Studios script producer at Casualty, Sarah Beeson, said: “We were hugely impressed by the standard of all the applications, but Samantha, Chris and Laura really stood out to us with their authentic creative ambition and clear passion for Casualty.

“We are extremely excited to now be working with them on their shadow scripts, and look forward to developing them as future Casualty writers while learning from their fascinating true life experiences.”

Casualty, which has been running since 1986, follows the staff and patients of the A&E department at the fictional Holby City Hospital.