What happened to Dr Trueman? Wasn't there a big scandal? I can't quite remember....

He was involved in a love triangle with Zoe and Kat

The trouble with any doctor character in Eastenders is that they never ring true.

I know soap story lines are much more magnified that real life but I have never lived anywhere or known anyone who has where the local doctor is not in a practice, lives locally and drinks with his patients, holds spontaneous surgeries in the street and local pub and has affairs with his patients!

It seems to have been on the job descriptions of most of the Eastenders doctors.

I've always found the doctor role in Eastenders unrealistic in the extreme!

I think michelle ryan faked a nervous breakdown when she read that her character and anthony were going to tie the not..Ever since then things were probably awkward on set then he quit..

I agree. The position of Doctor in the square is completely irrelevant and not needed. Al could have been introduced to the square in any role without casting him as a doctor.

When characters go to see a doc for anything related to a plotline, the doc could be any bit-part actor (like when archie went to the hosp for his test results) the amount of GP work Al has done has been minimal at best, and none of it pivotal to his characterisation at all. I know he was Heather's confidant when he first came to the square, but even that didnt really have major significance and again could have been done with any random actor as her doctor, particularly has Al was unknown before anyway.

As you say textpest all the 'shock'factor doctor storylines have been covered so surely there is no point in having a doctor as a main character after Al leaves.