Entertainment

Casualty pays tribute to the NHS after collecting Bafta TV award

The programme saw off competition from Coronation Street, EastEnders and Hollyoaks in its category.
The programme saw off competition from Coronation Street, EastEnders and Hollyoaks in its category. The programme saw off competition from Coronation Street, EastEnders and Hollyoaks in its category.

The cast of Casualty paid tribute to the NHS after winning the Bafta TV award for soap and continuing drama.

A group of cast members appeared in the ceremony via videolink after being named as the winners of the award.

After initially struggling to connect to the ceremony because of a technological issue, the cast then praised the others in their category as they discussed the role of their genre.

Casualty saw off competition from Coronation Street, EastEnders and Hollyoaks to claim the award.

Speaking on behalf of the cast, William Beck said it was a “huge honour” for the soap to win the award.

It is “one that we share, not only with those in our category, TV drama, but the wider industry and all of those people past and present without whom we would have no show – the NHS”, he said.

Beck said soaps tell stories about “the every day”, adding: “The every day has been uniquely and tragically dramatic and each of us regardless of age, ability, gender, nationality have been forced to find a hero.

“For everybody that has lost somebody, for everybody that has saved somebody, for all of those who continue to cover stories, this is for you.”

Casualty cast members watch the ceremony
Casualty cast members watch the ceremony Casualty cast members watch the ceremony (Twitter/PA)

Earlier this week the BBC announced that Holby City, a spin-off of Casualty, will come to an end next year after 23 years on screen.