History of the National Health Service Emergency Ward 10 was first broadcast in 1957 on ITV and ran until 1967 and followed the life and loves of the staff and patients of the fictionalised Oxbridge General. ITV later followed this up with General Hospital which borrowed much from Emergency Ward 10 in terms of its themes and focus. The idea of a medical hospital as a suitable and popular setting for a soap opera continued to take root in the 1980s. Casualty, set in an A&E department, was first broadcast in 1986 and has since become the longest running medical drama in the world. At a
General Hospital soap opera to make such a transition. The serial aired its 14,000th episode on February 23, 2018. "General Hospital" became the oldest American soap opera on September 17, 2010, following the final broadcast of CBS' "As the World Turns". On April 14, 2011, ABC announced the cancellation of both "All My Children" and "One Life to Live", leaving "General Hospital" as the last remaining soap opera airing on the network after January 13, 2012. The show celebrated its 50th anniversary on April 1, 2013. "General Hospital" was created by Frank and Doris Hursley and premiered on April 1, 1963. The