| Ruby Spark | |
|---|---|
| Casualty character | |
 | |
| First appearance | Episode 1090 14 July 2018 |
| Last appearance | Episode 1170 18 April 2020 |
| Portrayed by | Maddy Hill |
| Spin-off(s) | Holby City (2019) |
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation | Paramedic |
| Relatives |
|
Ruby Spark is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Casualty, played by Maddy Hill. She first appears in the forty-first episode of series thirty-two, originally broadcast on 14 July 2018. The character and Hill's casting details were announced on 18 January 2018 and she began filming during the following month. For the role, the actress qualified as a Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) driver. Ruby is a paramedic and is characterised as a smart, caring and opinionated perfectionist who lacks social skills. Her near-photographic memory of procedures and medication serves as an important character point as she struggles to deviate from the rules. The character's backstory states that she has just graduated from university, adding to her over-emphasis on rules. Ruby is introduced as part of the show's increased focus on paramedics and producers wanted to explore the profession through the character.
Ruby clashes with paramedic Iain Dean (Michael Stevenson) and was integrated into his story about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The story develops in a Casualty-Holby City crossover event, "CasualtyXHolby", where Ruby finds Iain after he attempts suicide. Producers created a new story for Ruby when she is stalked by a patient's daughter, Dani Mallison (Georgia Hughes). In her next story, Ruby's sister, Violette Spark (Kelly Gough), is introduced. She struggles with a heroin addiction and later dies, so Ruby begins caring for her newborn daughter Harmony. The story leads to the character's departure from the serial and she exits in the thirty-first episode of series thirty-four, originally broadcast on 18 April 2020. The character has been well-received by critics and viewers alike, with Violette's death receiving particular praise.