Casualty spoilers: Stevie Nash pushed to her LIMITS in NHS special

Stevie Nash feels the strain in Casualty special How to Save a Life.

Stevie Nash heads up the Holby medical team in Casualty episode How to Save a Life (BBC One, 8.25 pm, Saturday, July 15, 2023 — see our TV Guide for listings), as they do everything they can to save motorcyclist Amartya Das. 

With thought-provoking contributions from real-life medics, this fast-paced, standalone episode commemorating 75 years of the NHS, is must-see TV. 

Helping Amartya from the first 999 call until he goes into surgery are fan favourites, Iain Dean, Jan Jenning, Teddy Gowan, Rash Masum, Dylan Keogh, Donna Jackson, Jodie Whyte and Ryan Firth. There’s also a very touching guest appearance by Holby City surgeon Eli Ebrahimi. 

Facing trials, tribulations, and complications along the way, will the expert team be able to save their patient?

Full Casualty spoilers below…

Stevie Nash and the code red call

Stevie Nash is at the centre of this week’s Casualty special, which pays homage to the hardworking medics of the NHS, as it celebrates its 75th birthday. 

Teddy realises the urgency of the situation. (Image credit: BBC)

The episode opens with paramedics Jan Jenning (Di Botcher) and Teddy Gowan (Milo Clarke) called to a road traffic accident, where a motorcyclist has been hit by a car. 

Following the head on collision, patient Amartya Das (Taqi Nazeer, The Replacement, Annika and The Control Room) is now trapped under a van and suffering devastating injuries. 

At the scene Jan is frustrated when they’re unable to reach Amartya due to other motorists not making room for the ambulance. Sensing her urgency, Teddy goes ahead on foot, quickly assesses the catastrophic situation and calmly takes control, ensuring Jan has a clear access to the accident. 

Iain and Tina race to the scene.  (Image credit: BBC)

From there, it’s an every-second-counts rescue operation to save their patient. Realising how dire Amartya’s condition is, Jan requests HEMS, the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service, for a rapid transfer to the ED…

Iain Dean on the scene

Paramedic Iain Dean is on duty with HEMS this week alongside air-medic Tina Haywell (Lainy Boyle, Doctors, Maternal). Teddy gets them up to speed once they arrive on the scene and Iain (Michael Stevenson) immediately recognises the severity of the situation. He puts in a code red call to control before airlifting Amartya to Holby ED…

Iain keeps Amartya calm on the way to the ED. (Image credit: BBC)

Stevie feels the strain

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Stevie Nash is having a tough day. She’s devastated by the death of a patient and now must deliver the tragic news to his family. The consultant is also under enormous strain due to the ED being backed up, resources limited, and a drunken lout in the packed waiting room making life miserable for everyone.

Then the code red call comes in…

With no time to lose, Stevie (Elinor Lawless) prepares a team to treat Amartya, which includes nurse manager Donna Jackson (Jaye Jacobs), nurses Rida Amaan (Sarah Seggari) and Jodie Whyte (Anna Chell), doctors Rash Masum (Neet Mohan) and Paige Allcott (Shalisha James-Davis), and surgeon Rob Watts (guest star Keir Charles, Green Wing, Back to Life). 

Stevie briefs her colleagues and forms a plan of action. (Image credit: BBC)

All hands on deck

Iain hands Amartya over to Stevie and the team, who waste no time in assessing his injuries and keeping him calm, while Rob explains that he may need an amputation. 

Jodie then has the daunting task of calling Amartya’s wife, Yasmin Das (Nicola Stuart-Hill, Thirteen, Hetty Feather), who makes her way to the hospital.

Meanwhile, a CT scan reveals that Amartya has life or death heart problems, which takes precedence over his amputation… With no time to lose, Stevie calls in Holby City heart surgeon Eli Ebrahimi (Davood Ghadami) who quickly mobilises a team to operate on Amartya…

Can they save him?

Rash assesses Amartya.  (Image credit: BBC)

Rida notes the seriousness in resus. (Image credit: BBC)

Also in Casualty this week

For the first time in his fledgling career, nurse Cam Micklethwaite (Barney Walsh) prepares the body of a deceased patient on his own, so that the man’s shocked and heartbroken family can spend time with their loved one. 

Cam overcomes his nerves to help a family say their goodbyes to a loved one. (Image credit: BBC)

Jodie Whyte is attacked by patient Jade Morton (Zoe Molyneux) while attempting to help doctor Rash Masum treat the woman. 

Jodie is assaulted by a patient.  (Image credit: BBC)

Sensing the rising tension in the ED, experienced doctor Dylan Keogh (William Beck) is a calming influence on an irate patient, after she’s been given a dressing down from stressed Stevie!

Dylan steps in, allowing Stevie and Eli to focus on Amartya and his wife Yasmin. (Image credit: BBC)

Later, when Stevie is comforting Amartya’s heavily pregnant wife, Yasmin, a belligerent ‘I pay your wages’ patient kicks off about having to wait six hours for a minor cut to be treated. He angrily insists that Stevie apologise to him. 

With no Dylan in sight and given the short-tempered consultant is having an unspeakably challenging shift, will she react in a way that could damage her career?

Can Stevie keep her cool and concentrate on working with Eli to save Amartya? (Image credit: BBC)

And finally, we see another side to Ryan Firth (Eddie-Joe Robinson) when he keeps up the spirits of elderly patient Dorothy Bevan (Gillian Axtell, After Life), who is stuck on a trolley in a hospital corridor. When Ryan discovers that it's Dorothy’s 75th birthday and that she was travelling to a family celebration before a fall landed her in the ED, he goes the extra mile and organises a little something special to mark her landmark birthday...

Ryan is a ray of sunshine on Dorothy's birthday. (Image credit: BBC)

Casualty episode How to Save a Life airs on Saturday, July 15 2023 at 8.25 pm on BBC One. It will be available on BBC iPlayer after transmission.

When is Casualty next on? Here’s our guide to every episode in 2023