The Doctor was on duty at Weatherfield General when Coronation Street was rocked by an explosion from The Joinery bar, followed by a derailed tram from the wrecked viaduct in December 2010. A badly injured Peter Barlow was one of the people trapped in the bar but Nick Tilsley and Ashley Peacock managed to get him out to the rescue service, although Ashley lost his life in the process.
The Doctor examined Peter and reported to fiancée Leanne Battersby that he had internal bleeding in the membrane around his heart and that a specialist had been called for to undertake a risky and complex operation. The Doctor stressed that the matter was serious and that Leanne should prepare herself for the worst. When it became apparent that Peter would probably die, the Doctor informed the Barlows that an emergency wedding ceremony could be arranged for him and Leanne when the couple made it clear that this was their wish should they be separated.