(Maureen Beattie)
Scottish nurse Sandra Nicholl arrived in Casualty after the tragic suicide of Kelly Liddle in Series 6. A down to earth, intelligent woman, Sandra always seemed to get the grumpiest and most ill mannered patients. Her husband spent most his time on an oil rig in the North Sea and she had a young daughter, Laura. As Series 7 developed Sandra persuaded a reluctant Julian Chapman to sing a duet with her at the staff karaoke. They were a hit and were soon an item as well. As the romance between Julian and Sandra developed a nasty episode almost cost Sandra her job. Sandra gave an injection of penicilin to a patient who was allergic when Dr. Rob Khalefa was called away to do an emergency operation. Although told to give the injection by Rob, it was Sandra who bore the brunt of the criticism when the patient (who suffered a bad reaction to the injection) came to his senses. Sandra took the blame as Rob got away scott free. There was much bitterness between the two for a time and the incident also caused friction between Sandra and Charlie, who Sandra accused of 'watching his own back'. Then Julian resigned as the pressure finally got to him and he begged Sandra to come with him. But Sandra decided to remain with her husband although she really wanted to go with Julian. Still grieving over Julian's departure, Sandra learned from new consultant Mike Barratt that Julian had watched his brother die in front of him. Sandra left at the end of Series 7 and one hopes that she eventually changed her mind and went off with Julian after all.
Written by Christopher Watson