Top TV doc in casting call for new series

FOR those who fancy airing their medical history in public – or just plain fancy the chance to meet Dr Mark Hamilton – the opportunity to do both is closer than you think.

On September 29, the country’s grungiest GP is coming to Cork to hold a drop-in clinic open to anyone interested in a diagnosis on or off screen.

The host of RTÉ’s How Long Will You Live? is filming for a return to the screen in the new year with a TV series entitled Health of the Nation.

To prepare for the airings, the doctor-cum-DJ is travelling the country with co-host Dr Nina Byrnes and a specially created mobile clinic tackling a variety of ailments in eight different counties.

These include obesity in Dundalk; stress in Naas; asthma and allergies in Waterford; digestive disorders in Limerick; alcohol in Galway; heart conditions in Sligo; smoking in Longford; and skin cancer in Cork.

Because the focus in Cork is on skin cancer, doctors Hamilton and Byrne are particularly interested in talking to people with concerns about this specific condition and tracking those with the illness.

A spokesperson for the production said people can pre-book an appointment or show up on the day with any ailment. “We will have two clinics running, one on-screen and one off-camera and people can opt to be filmed or not... we understand some diagnosis will require a certain level of discretion,” the spokesperson said.

The doctors will also be holding high-profile campaigning events to raise local awareness of the issue and to encourage people to take action to protect their health.

The Cork clinic will be held at the Youth Centre on Marlboro Street, Cork city centre.

* For an application form contact Waddell Media on 04890 427646 or 00 44 2890 427646 or email [e-mail].