S3 E7 (19 Aug 89) : A Wing and a Prayer by Ginnie Hole
Episode Summary
Alison and Kiran come back to their nursing flat and find it has been burgled. Kiran is distraught. Charlie at first tells them off for being late for shift, but later tells Kiran he will do what he can to help and rings the nurse warden.
The hospital faces huge waiting times, and with a difficulty finding beds, Charlie rings Valerie from a dinner party, to say she is needed. Valerie argues with Consultant Dr Laughton about two spare beds he has, which he is refusing to give up.
A wife of an elderly man stroke victim tries to get her GP over to her house. After she is refused, she dials 999. They take him into A&E, where Kiran treats him, but they are unable to get him a bed. They are forced to move him to another hospital, but he dies in the ambulance.
A father, Tom, looks after his baby Matthew, while the mother, Polly, has gone out. At first, he won’t stop crying, and Tom is relieved when he finally goes to sleep, but when he goes to check on him later, he finds him not breathing. The baby dies from cot death. Polly and Tom are devastated.
A foreign worker, Colin, is brought in by his boss, Mr Lockhart, with hallucinations and a cut to his face. Mr Lockhart says he has been inhaling paint stripper. David believes his story, but Cyril is not convinced. Sadie brings them more evidence, after she speaks with Colin who says, their work place has poor ventilation. Later, Mr Lockhart is down the pub with another work colleague, Brian McCarthy. However, he suffers a heart attack. Charlie believes it has been brought on by the paint fumes, and warns the boss to get it sorted.
Patients
* Mr Griffiths – stroke victim who dies.
* Colin – cut to face and breathing problems after inhaling paint stripper.
* Brain McCarthy – suffer heart attack brought on by inhaling paint fumes.
* Matthew – baby dies of cot death.
First Scene/words
Woman : (on phone) He’s had an extensive stroke, I’ve got to get him to hospital. I can’t believe you couldn’t find a bed somewhere in the whole.. yeah I have been to Holby, Fenwick and Hymore.. carrying him is out of the question, it’s too far..
Last Scene/words
Keith and Shirley resuscitate stroke victim in ambulance;
Shirley : He’s in VF.
Keith : Stand clear…
Shirley : He’s a systolic.
Daughter : You mean he’s dead don’t you? Don’t you, you mean he’s dead!
Notable Facts
* This episode was postponed during the series, following the death of guest actor Roy Kinnear, and was not shown until the repeats in August 1989.
* Roy Kinnear plays Brian McCarthy.
* John Bowler plays Richard Laughton.
