A TV doctor used to treating patients in Coronation Street was doing the rounds at Great Western Hospital in Swindon yesterday.

Former Street star Oliver Mellor, famous for his role as Dr Matt Carter in the soap opera, is currently performing at the Wyvern Theatre in Agatha Christie’s Black Coffee and popped in to Hazel Ward to meet staff and experience the hustle and bustle of a real hospital.

The wards were a familiar sight for the actor, who has spent his fair share of time in hospital – not in his acting capacity but as a regular patient, having broken his nose, wrist and been treated for injuries more times than he can count.

After a warm chat with the nursing team, he was treated to a photo shoot with one of the antenatal and postnatal department’s newest arrivals.

“I have had quite a few operations, but nothing drastic, so it’s quite a familiar environment for me,” he said.

“And I’ve been around babies on the show because the characters had babies. But this one was fresh out of the oven.

“My girlfriend is getting seriously broody so I might be on the maternity ward quicker than I think. It was training for real life seeing the fear in the new father’s eyes when somebody else wanted to hold his newborn baby.”

Karin Jones, Hazel ward manager, said: “We were so excited when we first heard Oliver was coming to the Great Western Hospital – it’s not every day that one of the stars of the country’s favourite soap comes walking through our doors.

“A lot of our staff are big fans of Coronation Street.”

Mellor plays the part of Albert Feather, alongside Jason Durr as Hercule Poirot and Gary Mavers of Peak Practice fame, at the Wyvern until Saturday.