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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 30 November 2007

Actress Kate Buffery: ‘Aids is not always a killer’

Actress Kate: Why it’s good to talk about Aids

TUFNELL Park actress Kate Buffery’s role as a doctor who discovers she has Aids in TV hospital drama Casualty tomorrow (Saturday) has given her a chance to dispel some of the myths surrounding the syndrome.
The former star of ITV’s Trial and Retribution said: “The programme will be going out on National Aids Day. This is an opportunity to deal with a disease which people still don’t like to talk about.”
Ms Buffery’s character, Fiona, contracts HIV from a boyfriend and passes it on to her 14-year-old son.
Fearful of the stigma, she refuses to acknowledge she is affected, even to her partner Mike, played by former Dempsey and Makepiece star Michael Brandon, until she is taken to hospital after suddenly becoming ill.
Kate said: “My character is a GP who you would have thought would have been fairly open-minded. But even she is worried about the stigma and refuses to discuss the disease.”
A mother of two, Kate is amazed that some people are still convinced that Aids is a “gay plague”.
“The truth is it is an illness caught mainly through sexual contact or sharing a dirty needle but it can afflict people of either sex,” she said. “The good news is that Aids is no longer always a killer because of a variety of new treatments.”
Kate, who campaigns on behalf of Tufnell Park Playing Fields, spoke against plans for a pole-dancing club at the Archway Tavern which were rejected by the Town Hall on Wednesday.
She is taking a part-time law degree with the Open University, which she says helps her deal with the authorities involved in many of her campaigns.
“The course is costing £5,000 over five years but that is still cheaper than having to consult with lawyers every time you need advice,” she added.
Saturday’s Casualty episode is on BBC1 at 8.50pm.

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