In the dimly lit corners of Holby City Hospital, where sirens wail and fates are rewritten daily, one man stood as the heartbeat of the emergency department for more than three decades. His name? Charlie Fairhead. But to the man behind the icon—Derek Thompson—he was more than just a character. He was a lifeline. A legacy. A quiet force who bore witness to the pain, the triumph, and the quiet despair of countless patients and peers alike. And now, with the echo of his footsteps fading into the past, a storm brews—not from within the fictional hospital walls, but from those who loved and respected the man who brought Charlie to life.

One such voice belongs to Casualty alum Sunetra Sarker, the beloved actress who embodied the brilliant and bold Dr. Zoe Hanna. For nearly a decade, she stood shoulder to shoulder with Derek on-screen, navigating emotional surgeries, moral dilemmas, and the invisible weight of saving lives that only fictional doctors truly understand. And now, years after her own graceful exit from the series, Sunetra has spoken publicly—her words carrying the weight of both admiration and heartbreak.

“He deserved more,” she said. Not as a whisper. Not as a passing remark. But as a resounding cry into the abyss of forgotten recognition.

More. That word, so small yet so heavy, lands like a scalpel to the chest.

Derek Thompson was not just a part of Casualty—he was Casualty. From the show’s earliest chaotic episodes to its contemporary crises, he remained a steady, comforting presence. The kind of man whose eyes held empathy even when words failed. The kind of nurse who never needed to raise his voice to command a room, to soothe a patient, or to defuse a ticking time bomb of emotion.

For thirty-seven years, he gave himself to that role, to that institution. His departure in 2023 was met with tributes and headlines, yes. But for those who knew him, worked beside him, and understood the soul he poured into every scene, it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough.

Sunetra, now 51, still carries those years with her—etched into her career, her memories, her heart. She first stepped into Holby City Hospital in 2007, bright-eyed and sharp-tongued as Zoe Hanna, a doctor whose brilliance was rivaled only by her complexity. She departed in 2016, leaving behind more than just a character—she left behind a part of herself, a part that still stirs when names like Charlie Fairhead are spoken.

And in 2018, when she made her brief but meaningful return, it was as if no time had passed. The hospital halls felt familiar. And Derek? He hadn’t changed. Still the same pillar of calm. Still the man who held Holby together with nothing but compassion and a quiet smile.

That’s why her words sting with such poignancy.

“He deserved a lot more.” Not just applause. Not just a goodbye montage. But legacy. Reverence. A celebration equal to the gravity of his presence.

And yet, the world moves quickly. Too quickly. In an industry that devours new faces and forgets old ones, Derek Thompson’s departure was respectful… but subdued. Perhaps too subdued.

What do you give a man who has given nearly four decades of his life to one role? Who showed up through changing cast members, shifting scripts, and evolving narratives? Who never once stepped back, even when the limelight dimmed or the stories focused elsewhere?

According to Sunetra, the answer is simple: you give him everything.

You honor him with more than words. You canonize him in the history of British television. You ensure that his departure leaves a crater—not just a ripple.

Because men like Derek Thompson don’t come around often. They are the spine of long-running dramas, the quiet giants who lift up the younger actors, who breathe depth into every scene simply by being there. And when they finally take their final bow, it should shake the foundations of the very world they helped build.

For Sunetra, the pain of watching her dear friend leave without the fanfare he so deeply earned is personal. “He deserved a lot more,” she said again, as if repeating it could right the wrong.

But in her voice, there’s also hope. That his contribution won’t be forgotten. That future generations of viewers, even those yet unborn, will look back on Casualty and understand that the reason the show endured for so long was because Charlie Fairhead never gave up. Because Derek Thompson never walked away—until he had given every last part of himself to the story.

In the end, perhaps this isn’t just about one man’s exit from a television show. It’s about how we honor longevity in a world obsessed with the next big thing. It’s about recognizing the soul of a series, the beating heart that sustained it across the decades. And it’s about listening to those who shared the stage with him—people like Sunetra Sarker—who know, without a shadow of a doubt, that his impact was seismic.

As Holby City moves forward, its wards buzzing with new interns, new crises, and new faces, the shadow of Charlie Fairhead will linger. Not as a ghost, but as a guardian. And maybe, just maybe, one day he’ll return—if only in flashbacks or whispers—so the new generation can feel what the old guard already knows: that without Derek Thompson, Casualty wouldn’t be what it is.