One of the show’s original cast members looks set to be written out after an early-onset dementia diagnosis

The beloved character receives her devastating diagnosis in Saturday’s episode (Image: Alistair Heap)

She’s one of Holby General’s most familiar faces, but veteran nurse Duffy, played by Cathy Shipton, looks set to be on her way out of the show as it is revealed that she will be dealt the hammer blow of an early onset dementia diagnosis in this weekend’s episode.

Producer Simon Harper spoke to The Sun about Casualty’s record of covering big health, social and emotional issues, saying: “We are mindful of telling [the stories] authentically and sensitively, which is why we are always so grateful to fantastic charities like Dementia UK, who give us invaluable advice.

“Depicting this cruel disease will help raise awareness, and Cathy is knocking it out of the park with her heartbreaking performance.”

Cathy joined the show as Lisa ‘Duffy’ Duffin in 1986, and, while she has left the show more than once, has been a regular on the show for most of its 32-year history.

Duffy and Charlie were married in 2017 after a long, slow-burning romance (Image: BBC)

The show’s longest-serving character – Charlie Fairhead – proposed to Duffy at the climax of the show’s Christmas 2016 episode and the pair were married in 2017. Like any soap couple, though, they’ve had more than their fair share of ups and downs.

Information from the Alzheimer’s Society explains that Alzheimer’s Disease is caused when proteins build up in the brain to form structures called ‘plaques.’

Duffy has been part of Casualty since it started in 1986

Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia in younger people and may affect around a third of younger people with dementia.

However, this is a much smaller proportion than in older people with the condition, up to two thirds of whom have Alzheimer’s disease.