Coronation Street star Sydney Martin has won praise from fans after responding to a healthcare worker who pointed out an inaccuracy in one of the soap’s recent hospital scenes. Sydney, who plays Betsy Swain, has been at the centre of one of the ITV soap’s biggest storylines after her character suffered a stroke caused by damage to an artery in her neck following consensual strangulation during sex with boyfriend Dylan Wilson.
Healthcare worker calls out unsafe lift technique
TikTok creator Jessie, a manual handling trainer, shared a video highlighting the way Betsy was helped from her hospital bed into a chair. She said: “Any health care staff who watched Coronation Street tonight please ignore the way they manual handled Betsy from her bed to the chair. This manoeuvre is not allowed in the UK. It’s called the drag lift, and it was removed from care years ago because it can cause things like dislocation.”
Jessie added that her biggest concern was that viewers unfamiliar with healthcare procedures might assume what they saw on screen was correct. In the caption, she wrote: “I know soaps such as Coronation Street do their research, but the drag lift for manual handling is not something that should be used by healthcare staff when assisting any patient with manual handling. It was condemned as unsafe practice by the RCN in 1981, and if staff are witnessed completing this manoeuvre, it can be reportable as a safeguarding incident.”
Sydney Martin’s thoughtful response
Rather than ignoring the feedback, Sydney herself jumped into the comments with a thoughtful response. She wrote: “Thank you for clearing this up, stroke advisors consistently on set, but clearly this wasn’t updated knowledge.” Jessie replied, thanking the actress: “Hey Sydney, thanks for messaging me, i really appreciate it, its disappointing that it was shown in such a big show but I totally understand its almost impossible to get every detail of every story 100% correct, but the consequences of a stroke for a younger person is a great storyline and I think you are doing an amazing job portraying the reality of this.”
Sydney then responded again: “Thanks Jessie, I really appreciate it!! completely agree with you- I’ve been very thorough with my personal research. However, some details are out of my control; we film at a very fast pace and ultimately things manage to slip through the cracks, but I will pass this on to production as it’s very important to get right.”
Fan reaction and storyline background
The exchange has been praised by fans, with one writing: “Sydney’s response to the drag lift shown in yesterday’s Corrie. I love her maturity around it and that she is going to pass this on so incorrect practice isn’t shown again.” Sydney has previously spoken about the preparation that went into portraying Betsy’s recovery.
Betsy’s storyline has been one of Coronation Street’s most talked-about plots. The teenager was rushed to hospital after collapsing at home, with doctors confirming she’d suffered a stroke. After a second stroke, medics discovered the cause was a blood clot linked to damage to an artery in her neck. Betsy later revealed to mum Lisa Connor-Swain that the injury happened during consensual sex with boyfriend Dylan Wilson, with neither realising the seriousness. The soap has since explored the emotional fallout and Betsy’s long road to recovery.
