Paul "Woody" Joyner

Paul "Woody" Joyner is a paramedic who worked for the Holby Ambulance Service from 2004 to 2005.

Woody's dad died of cancer when he was 21 which made him even closer to his mum. She still cooks for him, does his washing and irons his clothes – why would he want to move out! Woody has never had a long term relationship – if he makes it past the second date then it is serious! Woody loves ladies but only on a short term basis. He is young and good looking and is determined to make the most of it.

Time with the Ambulance Service (2004-05)
We are first introduced to Woody in S19 E14, when Luke and Nina are called to attend a man who is trapped in a sauna, it transpires that he is Woody – the new paramedic due to start on that day. Caroline from Orthopaedics comes down with clothes for Woody – she is his mother. Josh gives Woody a warning for not turning up to work. Caroline asks Josh not to be too harsh on him. In S19 E15, Woody is Comfort's new partner at work but they get off to a bad start and Woody suggests this is because he has replaced Fin. Comfort apologises and they become friends. In S19 E16, it's the day of Abs and Ellen's wedding. Woody picks the couple up from the registry office in a horse and carriage and takes them to a plush hotel where the rest of the team are waiting. At wedding party, Harry asks Woody to take underconfident Guppy under his wing, Woody reluctantly agrees. In S19 E20, after attending a physically demanding job Comfort experiences stomach pains – she tells Woody she is pregnant and he rushes her back to Holby, but she loses the baby. In S19 E21, Woody and Luke decide that Charlie and Harry both need a woman, but cannot think of anyone that would want them – just then Selena enters. Next episode in S19 E22, Charlie receives a mysterious email from a woman asking to meet him at 4.30pm in the on-call room, to talk. He turns up and sees Harry there too. Selena arrives and asks where the two old men needing assistance are. Luke and Woody appear, laughing – Harry and Charlie realise they have been the victims of a practical joke. In S19 E23, Woody and Luke go to a shout where a man, Billy, has been burgled. He has a pet parrot, which messes all over them. Harry and Selena plot to play a practical joke on the pair to pay them back for last week. Harry tells them the parrot droppings could cause a potentially fatal disease. Selena warns them they will need an injection in their bottoms and tells them to go and get undressed. Charlie pulls back the bed curtain to take a Polaroid of the paramedics but they have left dummies lying there – they had guessed it was a joke. In S19 E26, A neurotic man is brought in with a dislocated shoulder. After being treated by Guppy, his pregnant girlfriend, Pam, goes into labour. As Guppy and Woody take her up to Maternity, they all get stuck in the lift – panicking the man further. Guppy delivers a baby boy. In S19 E27, a jet ski driven by man, Darren and also carrying his young son, Andy, crash into scaffolding at Holby docks. Darren is treated at the scene, however his son is missing and is first feared drowned. Woody finds the boy hiding, as he fears he is to blame for the accident but when he sees the police heading his way, jumps into the water. Earlier having been revealed that Woody can't swim, Woody decides to jump in and try and save him. He eventually saves the boy but has to be rescued himself as he nearly drowns. In S19 E28, Woody teases Guppy about an attractive old friend of Guppy's who asks him on a date – but only as a fling before she gets married. In S19 E38, Guppy goes out on a shout with Woody as part of his training. They go to treat an injured stake boarder who tells Guppy he does not want to be treated by him and makes racist remarks. Guppy wants to stay and tend to him but Woody tells him they should go as their safety is at risk. In S19 E47, Kelsey and Woody flirt after their previous night out.

In S20 E3, Woody treats a 10-year-old boy called Matt, after his leg becomes trapped in the local swimming pool. The boy looks up to Woody and the pair get along well. Woody recognises his mother, Susan, but is not sure why. Later, he realises who Matt's mother is – a woman he slept with 10 years ago. In S20 E4, Woody thinks back to when he slept with Susan and, after checking Matt's records, soon realises that the dates match. During the shift, a boy, Aidan, calls paramedics Josh and Woody to woodland where he claims his Dad, Nigel, has been injured. Woody, with Aidan, and Josh split up to find the father. Woody climbs a tree and radios to Josh when he can see Nigel in the woods. Meanwhile, Woody then has to rescue Aidan who has fallen down a hill injuring his arm. In S20 E6, Woody becomes a hero when he realises the new paramedic, Simon, is an impostor. Next episode, in S20 E7, Woody is all set to turn Simon into the police, but needs his help when they see a man, Tommy, stuck on an iron railing. Harry is also called out to rescue Tommy. Meanwhile, Woody decides to let Simon go and decides to contact Susan. She says there's a chance Matt is not his son and that he's too flaky to be responsible, but Woody persuades her to let him see Matt. In S20 E8, Woody is keen to get to know Matt and trying to impress him lets them take a drive in the ambulance. However whilst out, a woman, Tracey, who has just crashed her car into a lamp post, hails the ambulance. Woody is forced to call in for back-up and when Josh finds out, he is furious and warns Woody that it's a sackable offence. In S20 E9a, the paramedics are at an unruly school giving a demonstration, when an injury occurs. Woody witnesses Josh lose his patience and lash out at a boy who stumbles into his way as he treats a patient. Woody is unhappy at what he sees. In S20 E10, we learn the father of the boy Josh hit isn't going to take matters further. All the paramedics are happy for Josh except for Woody, who threatens to make a complaint about Josh himself. In S20 E11, tension continues to mount between Woody and Josh. They eventually sort things after Josh injures himself trying to rescue a suicidal man from the car. After talking, Josh convinces Woody he must get a DNA test to find out if he really is a father. In S20 E13, Woody gets his DNA test back, and discovers he is not Matt's real father. To his colleagues, he acts relieved but he seems a little disappointed. Later Woody tells Matt that he won't be seeing him again. In S20 E16, Bruno spreads a rumour through Woody that he has slept with Nina to try and provoke Abs. Later at the Christmas party, it seems Woody has pulled Kelsey. But just as she goes to take him home, she finds him asleep drunk in the corner. In S20 E17, Woody manages to blag a lift to the Trust's party with Nick, Donna and Kelsey when they are caught up in a tunnel explosion. Noxious fumes are spreading through the tunnel, and Woody finds a cannister underneath a car that has a trapped baby inside. He realises that the only way to save the baby's life is to pick the cannister up and run the length of the tunnel with it to get it out of the way. However once out of the tunnel, he's overcome by toxic fumes. As Woody is taken to hospital, he realises the extent of his injuries and jokes with Kelsey about agreeing to date with him. As she says yes, he falls unconscious and the team are unable to revive him in CRASH. His mother, Caroline, who has been babysitting Charlie's son, is distraught to learn the news. Kelsey tells her Woody was a hero – but she says she would rather have her son back than him be a hero.

Behind the scenes
Will Thorp portrayed Woody on Casualty from 2004 to 2005 for just over a year.