Casualty star Derek Thompson is to bow out of his role as lynchpin nurse Charlie Fairhead having played the character since the BBC One medical drama began in September 1986.
Announcing Thompson's departure after almost 900 episodes, the BBC said: "Derek will be filming until the autumn, and his final scenes as Charlie will air next year in the culmination of a gripping exit storyline, which will see the character front and centre of the action."
Belfast-born Thompson said that the time had come for him "to hang up Charlie's scrubs after the most wonderful 37 years".
"Charlie Fairhead was inspired by a real nurse - Pete Salt," he continued.
"Together with the writers and producers, I have tried to bring to Charlie the compassion, kindness, heroism and sound judgement that we all see and love in Pete and I want to say thanks to Pete and everyone else over that time who has inspired me in bringing this character to life."
Saluting Thompson, the Executive Producer of Casualty for BBC Studios, Jon Sen, said: "Derek and I would often joke that, after such a long and dramatic career in the NHS, there was almost nothing that Charlie hadn't seen.
"So it was an amazing surprise to me when Derek arrived with a brilliant idea for Charlie's exit as part of an upcoming storyline, which was too good to pass up.
"We will all miss Derek enormously. Over nearly four decades, Derek has crafted an iconic character who is woven into the fabric of British TV history.
"We will miss his craft, his humour and his on-screen presence. We're also going to miss a friend, so for the next few months we're going to have a ball filming Charlie's final chapter."
Thompson's other credits include the classic British crime movie The Long Good Friday and the IRA thriller series Harry's Game and The Price - but Charlie Fairhead is his iconic role.
"Over the years, Charlie has been the lynchpin of the hospital's emergency department and at the centre of countless major storylines which explored challenging and thought-provoking subjects," added the BBC.
"Having cared for thousands of patients himself, Charlie has also seen a fair few of his own struggles throughout his long tenure in the ED, including when he was run over by an ambulance on his wedding day, a near-fatal cardiac arrest during a gang siege, and his loving relationship – and heart-breaking farewell - with his beloved fellow nurse Duffy (Cathy Shipton).
"Charlie always pulled through as the beating heart of the department, and has remained a loyal colleague to anyone that needs him."
