As is customary with British soaps, drama is never far away at Emmerdale, and so to celebrate the 50-year milestone, Emmerdale’s talented team of writers created a stormy storyline which would leave the villagers reeling. Medical Hire were delighted to be involved.
The drama unfolds
As the villagers prepare to celebrate Kim and Will’s wedding, bad weather is brewing. The ceremony gets underway, but outside, the weather takes a very windy turn for the worse.
When the ceremony concludes, thoughts turn to pregnant Amelia who has gone up into the hills for a picnic. Worried that she’s in trouble and having received a message to say she’s gone into premature labour, the villagers start searching. Kim and Harriet head out simultaneously – Kim on horseback and Harriet on a quad bike. But with the storm raging ever harder, a collapsing tree causes Harriet to be thrown from her quad bike with devastating consequences.
In the village, Chas and Al are sitting in Al’s car having a heated discussion over their secret relationship when Chas decides she’s had enough of talking and gets out of the car. With debris flying everywhere and despite warnings by Al that it’s too dangerous to be outside, Chas is hit by a flying farm stand leaving her with a potentially serious head injury.
Meanwhile, over on the Dingles farm, Sam and Nate are chased by a herd of cows that have escaped from a collapsing barn. Nate escapes with minor injuries, but a jump to safety leaves Sam with gruesome injuries and his life left hanging in the balance.
Back in the village, Liv and Vinny leave the safety of their home to go searching for a missing family member. But with the winds now at ferocious speeds, they are hit by a moving caravan, which ends in a tragic and life-changing outcome.
Even after the storm has passed, there is still concern about one missing villager – Samson. Missing for almost 2 days since the storm hit, his family conduct an increasingly desperate search. Thankfully he is eventually found, but injured and unconscious.
Medical Hire support the stormy storyline
Medical Hire were thrilled to be asked to support Emmerdale’s 50th anniversary storyline.
With so much action and many different scenarios, planning and preparation were key. Chloe and the Medical Hire team met with the Emmerdale directors on multiple occasions to discuss all of the medical scenarios; it was crucial that every scene was realistic.
During filming, Medical Hire’s specialist props and medical advisors supported the cast and crew throughout. Filming took place in numerous locations so props and advisors were provided for each situation.
Maternity scenes with Amelia:
For scenes with Amelia in labour in the barn, a maternity advisor joined the crew on location at Almescliffe Crag. She advised on how labour would progress so the actress could portray those feelings authentically.
The advisor then continued to support the actors through the delivery scenes in hospital until the baby was born.
To equip the maternity ward set, Medical Hire supplied a variety of maternity props and equipment including a specialist maternity bed, gas and air equipment, an infant resuscitaire, a baby crib, and a CTG machine.
A&E scenes with Chas:
After sustaining a head injury, Chas was taken to A&E at the hospital. She is treated for minor injuries but is quickly discharged and able to return home.
To help build and furnish the set, Medical Hire supplied a range of A&E equipment including A&E trolleys, an observation machine, and a selection of wheelchairs.
Post-surgery scenes with Sam:
After Sam’s horrific accident, he was transferred to hospital and immediately taken for urgent surgery. Viewers didn’t see him in theatre, but he’s later seen on the hospital ward after a successful operation.
Medical Hire supported this sub-storyline with medical advice as well as props. A medical advisor joined the crew during filming and guided the cast throughout.
To equip the hospital room, Medical Hire supplied drips, a PCA pump, an observation machine, and a range of a consumables and accessories.
Hypothermia scenes with Samson:
With Samson stuck out in the cold for 2 days, he was suffering with hypothermia. A fall had left him with a broken ankle and unable to get home. As soon as he was found, he was taken to hospital where viewers initially saw him being rushed through the hospital corridors.
To furnish and equip the set for these hospital scenes, Medical Hire supplied an ambulance stretcher, an oxygen cylinder with face mask and accessories, plus a selection of cellular blankets.
Long-running working relationship
Medical Hire are privileged to have enjoyed a long-running relationship with the cast and crew of Emmerdale, working together on many dramatic storylines for over 10 years. With Medical Hire’s close proximity to the Emmerdale set in West Yorkshire, the team are perfectly located to be able to support whenever needed. And with film schedules often tight or unexpectedly changing, support can be given at a moment’s notice.
Some of the most recent storylines that Medical Hire have supported include…
- March 2022: Medical Hire and sister business Independence Mobility were proud to be involved in the heart-breaking storyline of Marlon suffering a life-changing stroke. The teams worked collaboratively to support the production, providing hospital props and mobility equipment including specialist seating and wheelchairs.
- January 2022: A tragic accident left Manpreet fighting for her life after escaping the clutches of her evil sister Meena who had been holding her hostage in a barn. Medical Hire supported the storyline with hospital equipment for scenes with Manpreet in a critical condition.
- Supersoap Week 2021: Medical Hire provided paramedic and hospital equipment for scenes involving a rope bridge collapse during a survival challenge. A large team of advisors were heavily involved in filming of the storyline, including specialist burns nurses. Read the full story here
- Spring 2021: Medical Hire provided hospital props and ICU equipment for scenes following a huge explosion in a barn. The team’s medical advisors were also on set during filming to guide the cast on the correct use of the equipment. Read the story here
- Summer 2020: Following the first national Covid-19 lockdown, strict rules and procedures were put in place for the return to filming, with Medical Hire providing ICU equipment for scenes following a hit and run accident. Read more here
- Early 2020: Medical Hire supplied specialist chemotherapy equipment for a storyline involving a bowel cancer diagnosis and treatment. Read the full story here
For more information on medical props from Medical Hire, or to discuss a forthcoming storyline, please call 0113 2628000 or email info@medicalhire.co.uk
(*Images courtesy of ITV)