| Series: | Doctors |
| Mac McGuire | |
| Portrayer: | Christopher Timothy |
| Occupation: | General practitioner Surgery partner |
| Introducer: | Mal Young |
| Years: | 2000–2006, 2024 |
| Alias: | Brendan McGuire |
| First: | "Letting Go" |
| Classification: | Former; regular(returning) |
| Daughters: | Samantha McGuire |
| Wife: |
|
| Sisters: | Fiona McGuire |
| Sons: | Patrick McGuire Liam McGuire Ciaran McGuire |
| Grandsons: | Marlyn McGuire |
| Granddaughters: | Chloe McGuire |
Dr. Brendan "Mac" McGuire, portrayed by Christopher Timothy, first appeared on 26 March 2000 and made his final appearance on 26 May 2006.[2] Mac is twice-married, first to Julia Parsons (Diane Keen) in 1968, to whom he had three children, sons Patrick (Alan McKenna) and Liam (Tim Matthews), and daughter Samantha. This marriage breaks down after Mac has an affair with a drugs sales rep, who returns in 2000 and ends up having a business meeting/lunch with Mac. In the early ‘90s, Mac marries Kate (Maggie Cronin), with whom he has one son, Ciaran (Tomas Hughes), in 2001, whose traumatic birth led to Mac becoming an alcoholic. This marriage lasted just over 10 years when, in 2002, Kate has an affair with a priest, Father David. Kate leaves Mac, taking Ciaran with her, which results in Mac having a heart attack. The near-death experience leads to ex-wife Julia coming back into his life, and the two resume their relationship. Mac then remarries Julia in 2003, shortly after the deaths of Father David, and Riverside’s ex-receptionist, Carolina Shaw. Mac becomes friends with Dr Peter Kendrick (Robert Cavanah), however Peter became depressed and soon committed suicide. On 26 May 2006, Mac leaves Letherbridge, moving to Ireland, after Julia orders him and Kate to leave when she discovers he had an affair with Kate, and they divorce the following year.[2]
In the press release for Doctors in March 2000, Timothy was said to be "thrilled" to be on the show, adding: "On set there's an amazing sense of drama and commitment from everyone around. People really want it to be a success".[3] Described as an "old-fashioned and highly-respected physician who isn't afraid to speak his mind", Timothy added that Brendan (known to his colleagues as "Mac"), is "James Herriot grown older".[3] In an interview with Sussex Life, Timothy stated of his time on Doctors that he loved "the dramatic standards achieved by the fast-paced series, despite the kind of squeeze on time and resources unheard of" adding, "The budget was a joke and the pressure more intense than anything I’d ever experienced. But it was six years of great fun and I got to direct, which I loved".[4] When asked if he had picked up any medical knowledge from the role he said, "No, not really. I spent a week with a real vet in Yorkshire and a day with a real GP in his surgery but I didn’t really watch procedures. The actual procedures – how to take blood pressure and that sort of thing – I picked up as I went along". He added that; "Working in something like Doctors you learn your lines, you say the scene and then forget them because you then have to remember another scene, and another scene". Head of Drama Mal Young said Timothy sat in a consultation room for a day, adding that people were "very good and mostly unfazed by the sight of an actor listening, they were very understanding, especially one woman who came in to talk about hormone replacement therapy!".[3]
TV Choice Nick Fiaca commented that Julia had a "torrid time" with Mac.[5] In 2010, producer Peter Eryl Lloyd was asked by Digital Spy if Mac was to return, in which he replied, "I don't know why we'd do that unless there was a very good reason. The show has moved on since Chris was with us so I don't think anyone would want the character back just out of nostalgia. But if it's motivated, if it has an impact on our characters and makes sense dramatically, then never say never".[6] The British Theatre Guide, said Mac was "very successful".[7]
At the 2003 British Soap Awards, Timothy was nominated for Best Actor, but lost out to Brian Capron who played Coronation Street Richard Hillman. Again, in 2004 and 2005, he was nominated for Best Actor, but Shane Richie who plays EastEnders Alfie Moon won both of the 2004 and 2005 awards. In the 2006 awards, he was nominated for "Best Actor" but lost out to Ross Kemp who played EastEnders Grant Mitchell. In the same 2006 awards, Timothy and Robert Cavanah who played Dr Peter Kendrick were nominated for "Best Storyline", in which Kendrick committed suicide, however Justin Burton (Chris Fountain) and Becca Hayton's (Ali Bastian) affair in Hollyoaks won.[8]
Dr. Steve Rawlings, portrayed by Mark Frost, first appeared on 26 March 2000 and made his final appearance on 1 June 2001. In the press release for Doctors, it was revealed that actor Frost would be playing Steve.[3] A few episodes into the series, it is revealed that Steve is having an affair with nurse Anoushka Flynn (Carli Norris). Whilst they are kissing in a cupboard at Riverside, Steve's wife, Bev, is mugged and killed. He is informed by Mac McGuire (Christopher Timothy), who tried to revive Bev, and Steve immediately blames himself for being with Anoushka instead. He initially struggles with his grief by taking it out on patients, such as telling suicidal patient Lenny Shapiro (Robert Schofield) to "get a grip".
Frost played Steve for 18 months, with Steve being called a "hard man" and a "baddie". Birmingham Post Caroline Foulke said that Frost played "blokes that are naughty and shady" and that Steve would make "Phil (Steve McFadden) and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) look like pussycats".[9]
| Series: | Doctors |
| Helen Thompson | |
| Portrayer: | Corrinne Wicks |
| Introducer: | Mal Young |
| Years: | 2000–2005 |
| First: | "Letting Go" |
| Last: | "What Price Now?" |
| Classification: | Former; regular |
| Occupation: | General practitioner Surgery partner |
| Sisters: | Louise |
| Husband: | Phil Thompson (until 2002) |
| Daughters: | Claire Thompson |
| Sons: | Dan Thompson |
Dr. Helen Thompson, portrayed by Corrinne Wicks, first appeared on 26 March 2000 and made her final appearance on 16 December 2005.[10] Before the series began, Helen married Phil (Mark Adams), with whom she had two children; son Dan (Joshua Prime) and daughter Claire (Tara Coleman-Starr). At the start of the series, Helen seems to have it all: a successful career, two children and a doting, stay-at-home husband. But, Helen begins to get bored with married life and, after fighting temptation for a while, has an affair with Steve Rawling’s brother, Chris, which nearly costs her her marriage. Phil throws Helen out, and she moves in Chris. Eventually, Helen and Phil reconcile. However, their happiness is short-lived. In 2002, Helen becomes a widow when Phil is killed in a car crash. However, at the time of the crash, she is in bed with colleague Marc Eliot (Tom Butcher). She is riddled with guilt until she discovers that Phil was also guilty, hiding the fact he had a second family. Helen eventually returns to work, but Marc persuades her to leave Riverside and set up a new practice with him, much to Mac’s fury. Helen and Marc set up Best Practice together, employing Helen’s university friend, George Woodson, and Kate, after her marriage to Mac breaks down. After a while, Marc and Helen start a relationship. Over time, Helen grows to dislike Marc and claims she is not in love with him anymore and Marc leaves to build orphanages in Kosovo. In 2004, Helen falls in love with Dr. Jack Ford (Steven Hartley) and he proposes to her, with Helen agreeing. However, Jack is murdered by his former wife Ria (Mandana Jones), devastating Helen. The next year, Marc returns with a new fiancé, Bella Forest (Sharon Maharaj). However, Marc and Helen realise that they still have feelings for each other, so the pair leave Letherbridge together.[10]
Helen's character profile on the BBC website described her as an "extremely capable doctor and well-liked by her patients and colleagues", but "despite being strong and confident, she sometimes found it hard to show her feelings".[10] In November 2005, Digital Spy Kris Green reported that Wicks would be departing from Doctors alongside Tom Butcher.[11] Green commented that Helen has "been the unluckiest person in love for the last five years" and was glad that she was "finally" getting a "Prince Charming".[11] Her final episode was an hour-long special.[11] In real life, Wicks is married to Butcher,[12] with Green commenting on this saying, "Interestingly, for Corrinne and Tom, it’s life imitating art as they are, in fact, a couple in ‘real world’ – I do sometimes find it hard to distinguish between the two...".[11] Andrea Green who played Sarah Finch opined that her most memorable scene was "the very final scene of Doctors shot at Pebble Mill – it was with my friend Wicks", commenting that it was "weird".[11]
Dr. Rana Mistry, portrayed by Akbar Kurtha, first appeared on 26 March 2000 and made his final appearance 1 June 2001. Rana is a newly qualified general practitioner upon his introduction, having been practising for just under two years. His professionalism is questioned by colleague Helen Thompson (Corrinne Wicks) after he arrives late to various shifts, which put lives into risk. She implores him to do better at his job. Rana's ability is soon questioned again by Mac McGuire (Christopher Timothy) after Rana does not notice a tumour inside Des Madeley's (Gareth Hale) brain. He feels awful but is soon liberated by Helen, who discovers that the tumour could not have been found in a GP check-up.
Rana has a one-night stand with colleague Anoushka Flynn (Carli Norris). Anoushka is also having sex with Steve Rawlings (Mark Frost), and when she gets pregnant and does not know who the father is, she leaves Letherbridge.
| Series: | Doctors |
| Caroline Powers | |
| Portrayer: | Jacqueline Leonard |
| Introducer: | Mal Young |
| Years: | 2000–2001 |
| First: | "Letting Go" |
| Last: | "Truth and Consequences" |
| Classification: | Former; regular |
| Occupation: | General practitioner Police surgeon Surgery partner |
| Mother: | Jane Powers |
| Husband: | Eddie Melia (backstory) |
Dr. Caroline Powers, portrayed by Jacqueline Leonard, first appeared on 26 March 2000 and made her final appearance on 1 June 2001. An experienced doctor, Caroline is involved in many cases, such as when Noel Kenworth (Anthony Edridge) has a vasectomy, however his wife, Karen (Karen Henthorn), still wants children. In May 2001, Caroline's mother, Jane(Stefanie Powers) arrives from America, with her soon-to-be husband David Wilde (Darren Day) arriving shortly after. Caroline starts to have feelings for David and the two have sex. On Jane and David's wedding day, Caroline runs away with David.
In a press release for the announcement of Doctors, it was stated that Leonard, known for her role in EastEnders playing Lorraine Wicks, was cast in the role of Caroline.[3] Leonard had taken a year off from acting, after previously caring for her sick mother,[3] however Leonard started to worry that as she was "missing out on bigger roles, and she grew concerned that casting directors only saw her as Lorraine". She said, "The right job never seemed to come up, I went up for things like Coronation Street and always got down to the last few, but never quite got it, almost like my profile was too high", she finished in saying, "Doctors came along at exactly the right time", stating she felt "lucky" and that she is "the happiest I've been in a long time". She added, "There's a lot of humour on the set of Doctors, we're a good melting pot of people from all over, which reflects the cosmopolitan nature of the series".[13] The BBC described her character as "demanding", Daily Mirror describes her as "hard-drinking" and "hard-talking",[14] and Leonard said she is a "dark horse who is giving out a lot of signals, right from the very beginning".[3]
| Series: | Doctors |
| Kate McGuire | |
| Portrayer: | Maggie Cronin |
| Occupation: | Practice manager Receptionist |
| Introducer: | Mal Young |
| Years: | 2000–2004, 2006 |
| First: | "Letting Go" |
| Last: | "A Different Kind of Love" |
| Classification: | Former; regular |
| Husband: | Mac McGuire (until 2002) |
| Sons: | Ciaran McGuire |
Kate McGuire, portrayed by Maggie Cronin, first appeared on 26 March 2000 and made her final appearance on 26 May 2006.[15]
Kate is the wife of Mac McGuire (Christopher Timothy) and set up Riverside with him. At first, their marriage is successful, both personally and professionally. However, Kate longs for a child of her own, unlike Mac, who already has three adult children from his first marriage. Eventually, Mac agrees to the idea and Kate becomes pregnant. However, tragedy strikes, as Kate suffers a miscarriage early into her pregnancy. The two support each other, and Kate falls pregnant again. The pregnancy is straightforward, until Kate falls down the stairs and goes into labour. The birth is traumatic, but eventually their son, Ciaran (Tomas Hughes), is born. Because of the trauma leading up to his birth, and the complications that arose during labour, Kate is forced to stay in hospital. Mac, feeling shut out and struggling to deal with his feelings, hits the bottle. Kate and Ciaran move out, while Mac tries to control his drinking, then eventually returns home. However, a few months later, Kate’s head is turned by the arrival of Father David Quinn (Richard Standing). The two have an affair, and Kate decides to leave Mac. On the day that Kate and David decide to tell Mac about their affair, they are too late, as Father Tom discovers the affair and tells Mac first. This leads to Mac’s heart attack, and his first wife Julia re-entering his life. Kate and David find their new lives hard at first, struggling to find work, until Helen and Marc employ Kate as the new receptionist at Best Practice. As life settles down, David proposes to Kate, just before he sets off to take Riverside receptionist, Carolina, and her young daughter, Vicky, to their new life in Lincoln. Kate doesn’t give David an answer straight away, and decides to wait until he is home. Sadly, David, and Carolina are involved in a traffic accident, and they both die in hospital from their injuries, leaving Kate distraught. Kate leaves the church. Ciaran is later kidnapped, however when he is returned, she regains her belief in the church. After a two-month gap, Kate returns to Best Practice as the new receptionist. Mac remarries his ex-wife, Julia Parsons (Diane Keen), as she becomes the practice manager at the surgery. Kate and Julia become enemies as Kate still harbours feelings for Mac, which Julia knows about, but the pair soon become friends.[15] Kate meets Dr Mike Miles (Michael J. Jackson) and moves to Ireland with him. Whilst in Ireland, Mac visits Ciaran and has an affair with her whilst there. Julia finds out, ordering them to leave the surgery, and both Kate and Mac leave to Ireland.[15]
At the 2003 British Soap Awards, Cronin was nominated for Best Actress, but Kacey Ainsworth who played EastEnders Little Mo Mitchell won, and again in the 2004 British Soap Awards, but Suranne Jones who played Coronation Street Karen McDonald won.[16] Also at the 2003 British Soap Awards, Cronin was also nominated for Villain of the Year, but Brian Capron who played Coronation Street Richard Hillman won.[16]
Anoushka Flynn, portrayed by Carli Norris,[3] first appeared on 26 March 2000 and made her final appearance on 19 May 2000. Anoushka is a nurse at Riverside Medical Practice. On her BBC profile, Anoushka is described as pushy and provocative. Her simultaneous flings with colleagues Steve Rawlings (Mark Frost) and Rana Mistry (Akbar Kurtha) are noted in the profile. Whilst kissing Steve in a cupboard, his wife is mugged and killed. He blames himself and Anoushka for not being there at the time of her death. Anoushka soon tires of him treating her badly and implores others at Riverside to stop sympathising with him since his marriage with Bev was lacklustre.
Anoushka's casual sex leads to her getting pregnant. Since she does not know who the father is, Anoushka resigns from her job and begins a new life elsewhere in order to care for her baby. This was due to not wanting to suffer "inevitable blame and investigations".[17] After making her final appearance on 19 May 2000, Anoushka became the first original character to leave Doctors.
Ruth Harding, portrayed by Yvonne Brewster, first appeared on 26 March 2000[18] and made her last appearance on 30 April 2001. Ruth is a nurse at Riverside Medical Centre who is shown to be caring but takes no nonsense from patients. When the team decide to participate in a lottery syndicate, Ruth agrees to buy the ticket. The numbers match and they win, but nobody pays her for their part in the ticket, so she claims the money and leaves Letherbridge.
See main article: Joanna Helm. Joanna Helm, portrayed by Sarah Manners, first appeared on 26 March 2000 and made her final appearance on 30 May 2001. Joanna is a receptionist at the surgery, the first that the surgery had. Joanna was described as "troubled" and "dippy". Manners also opined that Joanna caused "mischief". Wales Online described Joanna as "bubbly".[19] According to Daily Mirror, Manners "won herself an army of male fans" as Joanna, as she was "flirty".[20] Sunday Mail described her storylines, in which they wrote: "she was involved in mercy killing, drug addiction and a suicide attempt to name but a few of her spicier plotlines".[21] [22] Manners said of this, "I got the best storylines in the world in Doctors, my nan died of a brain tumour then it came out I killed her. I went mad and was addicted to anti-depressants, forged signatures and tried to kill myself".[21]
| Series: | Doctors |
| Patrick McGuire | |
| Portrayer: | Alan McKenna |
| First: | "Sins of the Father" |
| Last: | "Daddy's Girl" |
| Introducer: | Mal Young |
| Occupation: | Teacher |
| Classification: | Former; recurring |
| Years: | 2000, 2003, 2010–2012 |
| Brothers: | Liam McGuire |
| Halfbrothers: | Ciaran McGuire |
| Wife: | Sally McGuire |
| Sisters: | Samantha McGuire |
| Mother: | Julia Parsons |
| Father: | Mac McGuire |
| Daughters: | Chloe McGuire |
Patrick McGuire, portrayed by Alan McKenna, first appeared on 16 November 2000 and made his last appearance on 16 March 2012.
Patrick, Mac McGuire's (Christopher Timothy) and Julia Parsons (Diane Keen) son, visits Mac in 2000. In 2003, he returns with his wife Sally (Zoë Tyler) and his sister Sam (Louise Howells). He stays for his father and mothers wedding before leaving. During the time that Patrick is absent, Julia and Mac split, and Mac moves to Ireland. Patrick returns in June 2010, when he becomes concerned about his mother's health when she starts to act differently, with Julia thinking that Charlie Bradfield (Philip McGough) is Mac. He continues to look after Julia, after she is diagnosed with lyme disease.
Two months later he returns, with daughter Chloe (Siena Pugsley), taking Chloe to Julia's house. Patrick and Sally (now played by Jo-Anne Stockham), stay with Julia; experiencing problems with their marriage, which Julia notices. Julia discovers he is having an affair, after he is involved in a car crash, finding out that he was with a woman named Sian in the car. Although Patrick is unharmed, he tries to defend himself towards Julia, begging Julia not to tell Sally. She agrees as long as it never happens again.[23] Patrick commits to his relationship with Sally, and along with her and Chloe, they leave.
However, after Julia comes back from holiday, she finds her house unlocked, with bottles and clothes littering her house. She figures out he is back with Sian, and orders him to explain.[24] when Sally finds out about Patrick' affair, and that Julia knew about it, she takes Chloe and Patrick goes AWOL.[25] Julia forces Sally and Patrick to sort out their differences, after it is affecting Chloe's behaviour, after they do, the three leave together. He appears once more when Julia is hospitalised after a car crash, and after she recovers, he leaves.
In a poll conducted by Digital Spy, the five main soaps in the UK, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, EastEnders, Hollyoaks and Doctors storylines were judged by viewers of the website, with the Doctors storyline of Julia finding out about Patrick being involved in a car crash, coming last with 0.9% of the vote.[26] Again, in a poll conducted by Digital Spy, the Doctors storyline of Julia finding out about Patrick having another affair, coming last with 0.8% of the vote.[25] Finally, the Doctors storyline of Julia hiding the secret of Patrick's affair from Patrick came last with 1.1% of the vote.[27]
| Character | Episode date(s) | Actor | Circumstances | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A woman who has been caring for husband Derek (Brian Cant) for five years due to his Alzheimer's disease. Mac McGuire (Christopher Timothy) persuades her to put Derek in a specialist care home. | ||||
| Derek Richmond | Brian Cant | A man suffering from Alzheimer's disease. After he injures wife Margaret (Patricia Greene) several times, he is put into a specialist care home. | ||
| Ross Brown | Scott Adkins | A joiner who is hired by the Riverside Health Centre to work on the building. Scott and Joanna Helm (Sarah Manners) had a relationship whilst in school and restart their relationship after spending the day together. However, after Joanna finds him cheating on her with a client, she dumps him. | ||
| Amanda Kenworth | 27 March | A woman who has developed acute depression after trying to conceive a baby for two years. She later learns that her husband Noel (Antony Edridge) had a vasectomy nine years prior. | ||
| Susan Quinn | Elaine Claxton | A woman who euthanises her dying father with mother Vera (Joan Campion). When Steve Rawlings (Mark Frost) questions his death, she lies by stating that he killed himself via a morphine overdose. | ||
| Vera Quinn | Joan Campion | A woman who euthanises her dying husband with daughter Susan (Elaine Claxton). | ||
| Noel Kenworth | Antony Edridge | The husband of Amanda (Karen Henthorn), who has been trying to conceive a baby for two years. When Amanda's doctor, Caroline Powers (Jacqueline Leonard), learns that he had a vasectomy nine years prior to meeting his wife, she persuades him to tell her. | ||
| Mrs Lewis | Jeanne Hepple | A patient who wants to see Rana Mistry (Akbar Kurtha), but is transferred to Anoushka Flynn (Carli Norris). Anoushka feels that Mrs Lewis is wasting her time with fake problems and hurries her out of the surgery. | ||
| Suzy Parker | 28 March | Claire Harman | A teenage patient of Steve Rawlings' (Frost) who develops a crush on him. After her mother intervenes, she puts washing detergent in her food, leaving her ill. | |
| Elaine Dome | Caroline Strong | A pregnant woman who learns from Rana Mistry (Kurtha) that her baby has a small chance of being born with Down's syndrome. Initially wanting to have an abortion due to her husband's reluctance to raise a child with the syndrome, she later decides to continue with the pregnancy. | ||
| Dave Dome | Greg Hobbs | The husband of Elaine (Caroline Strong) who disagrees with her decision to keep their child. | ||
| Deirdre Parker | The mother of Suzy (Claire Harman) who tells her to stop faking back issues in order to see her doctor. | |||
| Paula Maine | 29 March | A patient of Caroline Powers' (Leonard) who struggles with being overweight. | ||
| Martine Bridger | Lois Higgins | A woman who has been injuring herself whilst suffering from seizures caused by her untreated epilepsy. | ||
| Warren Bridger | Karl Draper | The son of Martine (Lois Higgins) who is worried about her health. | ||
| Jason Bridger | Daniel Evans | The brother of Martine (Higgins) who urges her to get her epilepsy treated. | ||
| Sue Scott | Julie Driscoll | A rude patient whose verrucas are treated by Ruth Harding (Yvonne Brewster). | ||
| Lucy Scott | Kathryn Green | The daughter of strict Sue (Julie Driscoll) who appears to be unhappy all the time due to not smiling. After several attempts from the staff at Riverside to make her smile, Lucy grins at her mother falling over. | ||
| Mrs Claypole | Freda Barratt | A lonely elderly woman who calls for Caroline Powers' (Leonard) company. After Caroline realises she does not need medical attention, she leaves. | ||
| Bill Joseph | Paul Shane | A patient of Mac McGuire's (Timothy) who vows to quit smoking in honour of his dead wife. | ||
| Eric Weiss | 30 March | A patient of Rana Mistry's (Kurtha) who asks Joanna Helm (Manners) on a date, which she politely declines. | ||
| Nige Thomas | Tom Beard | A man who is vaccinated by Ruth Harding (Brewster) for a forthcoming holiday. After he has an allergic reaction, he loses consciousness. | ||
| Safiya Ranjit | Preeya Kalidas | A woman who gives birth to a baby at Riverside. | ||
| Policeman | Evroy Deer | A policeman who sees to a mugging involving Bev, Steve Rawlings' (Frost) wife, who has been killed. | ||
| Sheena Jansen | 31 March | A woman who is concerned by her husband not wanting to have sex with her after being released from prison. | ||
| Ralph Jansen | Andy Williams | The sons of Sheena (Belinda Davidson) and Dean Jansen (Liam Mullan). | ||
| Frank Jansen | ||||
| Dean Jansen | Liam Mullan | A man who has been imprisoned for seven years. Following his release, he has inhibitions about having sex with his wife Sheena (Belinda Davidson). | ||
| Jean Taplow | Amanda Loy-Ellis | The mother of a child who stops breathing. She demands to have a doctor visit her at home, but due to Rana Mistry (Kurtha) being late to work, Anoushka Flynn (Norris) visits her and saves the baby's life. | ||
| Deaf Woman | Joyce Gibbs | A patient at Riverside who believes the surgery telephone is ringing inside her ears. | ||
| Maggie Jackson | Rebecca Raybone | The mother of Liam (Billy Coughlin). | ||
| Liam Jackson | Billy Coughlin | A boy who loses his sense of smell due to getting a toy dinosaur stuck in his nostril. | ||
| Eve Sharp | 3 April | Caroline Harding | A Jehovah's Witness who, due to her anaemia, needs a blood transfusion. However, due to it being against their family's religion, Eve's husband, Graham (Doug Bradley), tells Helen Thompson (Corrinne Wicks) that he forbids the transfusion. Helen talks Eve into having the procedure and he walks out on the family. | |
| Graham Sharp | Doug Bradley | The husband of Eve (Caroline Harding) who makes the decision to leave his family when has a blood transfusion, which he says is against his faith as a Jehovah's Witness. | ||
| Jamie Sharp | Tom Wright | Eve (Harding) and Graham's (Bradley) son who is shocked and confused when Eve collapses in the street. | ||
| Paul Taylor | A patient of Caroline Powers' (Leonard) who experiences illness due to his demanding job as a lorry driver. | |||
| Lyn Baker | Mary Tamm | A representative for a medicine company who meets with old fling Mac McGuire (Timothy) for business with Riverside. Kate (Maggie Cronin), Mac's wife, worries about their meeting since she is aware that Lyn ruined Mac's previous marriage to Julia Parsons (Diane Keen). | ||
| Joseph Hyde | 4 April | Frank Ellis | A patient of Ruth Harding's (Brewster) who reads his own medical notes and believes he has cancer due to reading about a tumour. He spends his life savings on a non-refundable cruise ticket and is shocked when Ruth informs him that the tumour is benign. | |
| Terry Hyde | Paul Ready | The grandson of Joseph (Frank Ellis) who worries about his health after he gives Terry his war medals. | ||
| Louise | 4 April | Briony McRoberts | Helen Thompson's (Wicks) sister who asks her to see to husband Richard (Cameron Stewart) due to him staying in bed for several days. Helen uncovers that Richard left a young girl in a hit and run and Louise pleads with her not to inform the police. | |
| Richard | Cameron Stewart | Helen Thompson's (Wicks) brother-in-law who feels guilt after hitting a young girl with his car and leaving her. | ||
| Mrs Stuart Brown | Philippa Urquhart | A patient of Rana Mistry's (Kurtha) who grows impatient of his lack of knowledge regarding Riverside's computer system. She overrides him and fixes his computer, to his amazement, since she runs a technology company with her son. | ||
| Des Madeley | 5 April | Gareth Hale | Mac McGuire's (Timothy) best friend who he goes golfing with. After telling Mac he has a headache, Mac takes him to Riverside for a check-up with Rana Mistry (Kurtha). He soon collapses and a large tumour is found in his brain, which he will soon die from. | |
| Barbara Madeley | Glynis Brooks | Des' (Gareth Hale) wife who is distraught to learn that he is dying. | ||
| Brenda Taylor | Annette Ekblom | A woman who is told by Caroline Powers (Leonard) that she has been cured of the bronchitis she had on her lungs. | ||
| Darren Taylor | Adam Morris | Brenda's (Annette Ekblom) son who skips school to see her at Riverside. | ||
| Anna | Carol Sloman | A violinist who is worried about her infected arm due to it risking her profession. After Ruth Harding (Brewster) heals it, she thanks her by performing a violin solo in the Riverside reception area. | ||
| Neurosurgeon | David Acton | Des Madeley's (Hale) neurosurgeon who informs Mac McGuire (Timothy) of Des' brain tumour. | ||
| Martin Blake | 6 April | Morgan Walter | A darts player who sees Steve Rawlings (Frost) about a splinter in his finger. | |
| Bella Hart | Vicky Johnson | A devout Christian who sees Steve Rawlings (Frost) about her angina. Since she asks numerous pressing questions about his dead wife, as well as trying to get him into her religion, he hurries her out of the appointment. | ||
| Ray Williams | Ray Gardner | A couple who are infuriated when test results regarding Maggie's ovarian cancer go missing. | ||
| Maggie Williams | Emma Shaw | |||
| Perry | Paul McGreevy | A man who sees Anoushka Flynn (Norris) about his damaged knee after falling from his motorbike. | ||
| Lenny Shapiro | Robert Schofield | A suicidal man who sees Steve Rawlings (Frost) about his thoughts. Due to struggling with the death of his wife, he tells Lenny to get a grip and to be thankful for what he has. Lenny then disappears but eventually comes back, with Steve apologising for his prior treatment of him. | ||
| Sarah Shapiro | Penelope Nice | Lenny's (Robert Schofield) wife who worries about him during his brief disappearance. | ||
| Claire Mitchell | 27 April | Sheridan Smith | A 15-year-old who becomes suicidal after her mother forces her boyfriend to dump her. Rana Mistry (Akbar Kurtha) finds her set to jump from a building and he talks her down. | |
| Dan Thompson | Joshua Prime | Helen's (Corrinne Wicks) son. Unable to get childcare at short notice, she brings him into Riverside after the surgery is vandalised and she is needed to help clean. He causes trouble by annoying the staff and drawing on the walls. | ||
| Chris Rawlings | Steven Brand | Steve's (Mark Frost) brother. A chef, he sets up a restaurant and invites Helen Thompson (Wicks), since the pair share an attraction to each other. She invites the rest of her Riverside colleagues, not wanting to cheat on her husband, Phil (Mark Adams). | ||
| Phil Thompson | Mark Adams | Helen's (Wicks) husband with whom she shares a rocky marriage with. | ||
| Claire Thompson | Helen's (Wicks) daughter. | |||
| Jessie Helm | Marcia Ashton | Joanna's (Manners) grandmother. She has a consultation with Steve Rawlings (Frost), who tells her that she is dying and ways that she can prevent her death. However, she tells him that she will die when her time is up. She does not tell Joanna and instead lies by claiming she just has the flu. Joanna sneaks a look at her medical notes and is devastated to learn that she is dying. | ||
| Eddie Melia | Colin Wells | Caroline Powers' (Jacqueline Leonard) ex-husband. He arrives at her house after having his wallet stolen and works on reconciling their marriage, but Caroline refuses due to his abuse of her in the past. He overhears Caroline talking to co-worker Rana Mistry (Kurtha) and assumes they are dating. He gets angry at Caroline and tries to force her into reconciling with him. She refuses and recounts when she had their baby aborted, which he did not know about, and Eddie then leaves. | ||
| Jack Helm | Jim Dunk | The father of Joanna Helm (Manners). After a long-standing feud between him and his mother, Jessie (Marcia Ashton), Joanna reunites them before Jessie's death. |