Ewart Plimmer

Ewart Plimmer
Biographical information
Died	7 October 1988
Familial information
Spouse	Roz Plimmer (m. unknown, div. 1987)
Children	Gillian
Professional information
Occupation	Consultant in emergency medicine (1986-88)
Appearance information
Portrayed by	Bernard Gallagher

Ewart Plimmer (died 7 October 1988) was a Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Clinical Lead of the Emergency department at Holby City Hospital from 1986 to 1988.

Time in the emergency department (1986-88)

Ewart was the inspiration behind the night shift when it began in 1986. The old man with the white moustache was a friend to his staff but could be very stern and short tempered with administrators. He rarely got involved in clinical work, but did from time to time get his hands 'dirty'. He would often sit alone in his office listening to his walkman. However, his dedication to saving the department put a strain on his relationship with his wife and daughter.

In September 1986, Ewart's wife Roz arrives at the end of his shift with a suitcase of his belongings - their marriage is over due to the strains of Ewart's work on their relationship. In November 1986, a drunk teenager is brought in after a party and is sick over Megan. She won’t talk and is revealed to be Gillian; Ewart’s daughter. She is upset about how distant her family have become. A week later, she arrives to see Ewart, but he is too busy. She waits in the staff room where she chats with Megan before leaving upset, without speaking to him. Megan suggests to Ewart he should ring her, but he says he hasn’t found the time. After Duffy is raped on her way to work the following week, Ewart comforts her and takes her home to Susie’s house.

By December, the night shift and the department face an uncertain future and the staff demonstrate to save the night shift much to Ewart's surprise.

From September 1987, Ewart continues his campaign to bring back the night shift as Holby A&E is only dealing with emergencies from 9-5. At all other times emergencies are being taken to Queen's. After a meeting with the District Health Authority, Ewart and the team find out they have been given back their night shift. Ewart is delighted and Mary asks him if she can be his new Senior house officer.

At a cocktail party, Ewart meets new administrator Elizabeth Straker, initially with conflict and differing opinions. After weeks of heated debates and arguments, Elizabeth finds the courage to invite Ewart over to dinner, he accepts and ends up staying the night but ignores bleeps on his pager. Two weeks later, Ewart attends his divorce hearing; Roz leaves him with nothing. In December 1987, Ewart suffers a mild heart attack and is visited in hospital by his ex wife and his new love interest Elizabeth. By early September 1988, Elizabeth has left for America fed up of Ewart being 'married to Casualty'.

Her replacement, Valerie Sinclair was soon at loggerheads with Ewart over the closing of the observation ward. Ewart got his way and ironically, in the very place that he'd been fighting to keep open, he suffered a second heart attack and died in October 1988, just minutes after comforting a distraught Megan. The staff mourned and it was left to Charlie to take over the helm of running the department.

Behind the scenes

Bernard Gallagher played Ewart Plimmer in Casualty from 1986 until 1988. He was also featured in Charlie's mind as a flashback on the 29th August 2015 but was uncredited.