It’s not been a very merry Christmas this year for Coronation Street’s resident vicar, Billy Mayhew, as his past caught up with him and he was left with his life hanging in the balance – twice. The Medical Hire team were thrilled to have been involved in the filming of these episodes. Here’s what happened…
Part 1:
The first of Billy’s medical incidents was aired a few days before Christmas and began with Billy appearing in court to defend himself against the charges for punching Peter Barlow a couple of months earlier. Peter went along to court with Billy to help defend him but whilst outside, Billy and Peter got caught up in a fight between two other men. It wasn’t until they got into the car a bit later that Billy realised the metal clover that his daughter Summer had given him for luck had become lodged into his leg during the tussle with the two men and had caused a nasty femoral artery tear. Peter called for an ambulance but whilst waiting, Billy started drifting in and out of consciousness and revealed to Peter that he was involved in the death of Peter’s sister Susan many years earlier. Peter’s shock caused him to momentarily release the pressure he was putting on Billy’s severely injured leg and viewers saw blood pouring out. Peter quickly came back to his senses and reapplied the pressure and Billy was then seen in A&E in a very critical condition.
The Medical Hire team were heavily involved in the filming of the A&E scenes where Billy was quickly treated. The scenes were incredibly fast-paced and the Medical Hire team had in-depth discussions with the Coronation Street Directors beforehand to plan out exactly how the story and the filming would play out.
A number of extras were also involved in filming, taking on the roles of the hospital A&E team. Medical Hire were on-set throughout filming to advise and guide them on what to do, ensuring the emergency scenes were as authentic as possible.
After his emergency treatment, Billy still remained in a critical condition and was transferred to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) for close-monitoring. Medical Hire supplied the specialist medical equipment and furniture for this set and helped set the monitors up as they would be in a real situation.
Part 2:
After his nasty leg injury, Billy was quickly back on his feet and back on Coronation Street. But his bad luck didn’t stop there as Peter was reeling from the revelation that Billy was involved in his sister’s death. Luring him into a false sense of security, Peter took Billy to his house to talk but forced him to drink copious amounts of alcohol until he was incredibly drunk and oblivious to Peter’s next actions. Peter then bundled Billy into the boot of his car and drove him to a remote location. The next day, after spending an uncomfortable night in the boot of the car, Peter opened the boot to reveal to Billy that he was sitting on the edge of a cliff. Peter’s intention was only to scare Billy, but it all went horribly wrong as Billy slipped and fell hundreds of feet down the cliff face. Peter panicked and ran from the scene thinking that Billy was dead, but later returned with his Dad, Ken Barlow, to see Billy being rescued by the emergency services.
Billy was incredibly lucky to be alive and was once again rushed to hospital and taken to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the set for which was again furnished by Medical Hire. He eventually re-gained consciousness but had sustained a serious pelvic injury for which he required surgery.
After the operation, Billy required intense physiotherapy to help him walk again. Medical Hire were heavily involved in the filming of these scenes, providing a team of Physiotherapy advisors to support and guide the cast and crew with their actions, as well as providing the necessary physiotherapy equipment including a walking frame.
Medical Hire were once again delighted to have been involved in Coronation Street’s latest dramatic storylines. These fast-paced scenes were fantastic to work on and resulted in some exciting Christmas viewing.
If you’re planning a medical or healthcare storyline and are looking for medical equipment and props for hire, call Medical Hire on 0113 2628000 to discuss your needs or get in touch using the form below.
(*images courtesy of ITV)