Derek Thompson leaving BBC's 'Casualty' after 37 years

May 30 (UPI) -- Derek Thompson, who has played Charlie Fairhead in nearly 900 episodes of Casualty over the course of 37 years, is leaving the BBC's hospital drama in the fall.

Thompson is the longest-serving cast member of the show, which premiered in 1986.

His final scenes are expected to air in 2024.

"The time has come for me to hang up Charlie's scrubs after the most wonderful 37 years. Charlie Fairhead was inspired by a real nurse -- Pete Salt," Thompson said in a statement Tuesday.

"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."

Jon Sen, an executive producer on the show, said Thompson came up with the idea for how his character will exit.

"We will all miss Derek enormously," Sen said.

"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 humor 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."