Dr. David Cheriton arrives at St. Aidan's Royal Free Hospital in Elsinby, newly qualified and keen to impress at his job interview - only to discover they aren't even expecting him. Meanwhile, Dr. Jill Weatherill's professional competence is called into question during a home visit, and hospital porter Ken Hopkirk's efforts to put up a television aerial end in disaster.
A romantic escapade goes horribly wrong when a young couple are involved in a motorbike accident, and the tragic events of the night leave the staff of St Aiden's struggling to heal more than just a broken heart. Dr. Ormerod grows suspicious when one of his patients is uneasy about returning home, but an investigation by Matron soon reveals the reasons for his reluctance. Meanwhile, Ken and Alun face trouble when a plague of rodents looks set to close down the hospital - but is local rogue Claude Greengrass really the best person to ask for advice?
Claude Greengrass causes a kerfuffle with a coffin containing the remains of his deceased sister and a mysterious phone call only serves to raise suspicions. Jill Weatherill has trouble with a patient who refuses to accept her condition, while Dr. Cheriton panics when he arrives at the scene of an accident bereft of vital medical equipment.
Sister Bridget discovers a baby on the steps of the hospital. PC Bellamy and Dr. Alway link it to a girls disappearance for a couple of days. Dr. Alway sets out to find the girl and informs her shocked parents that their daughter has had a baby.
Dr. Cheriton has the unenviable task of informing a patient she has little time to live, and the situation soon prompts the wedding of the year. Arriving at the scene of an accident at the railway station, Dr. Ormerod is forced to make a drastic decision, but an oncoming train signals disaster. Gambling fever grips the hospital when a champion jockey is admitted and, as always, Greengrass is in the thick of the furore.
The cause of a schoolboy's illness is found too close to home, while a bit of teamwork brings Ormerod and Weatherill closer than they expect. Cheriton's flatwarming party goes with a bang, and Ventress spots an impostor on the ward.
A serious coach crash throws the Royal into chaos, and for one member of the staff, the incident proves exceptionally traumatic. Cheriton has a bombshell for Nurse Taylor.
Gordon struggles to cope following the coach crash which left his wife horrifically injured and turns for comfort to colleague Jill, who tries to persuade him to take time off work. Meanwhile, a woman arrives at the Royal requiring an emergency hysterectomy following an illegal abortion, and pleads that the whole affair be kept secret from her fiance, and Greengrass is shocked to discover he has a long-lost daughter.
A teenage boy is brought into the Royal having fallen from a cliff, but it soon emerges that the incident was a suicide attempt as evidence of extreme depression comes to the surface. Cheriton contacts the youngster's psychiatrist but is taken aback when electroshock therapy is suggested as a form of treatment, so ventures to the family home to recommend an alternative — only for tragedy to strike. Meanwhile, a hypochondriac causes chaos at the hospital when she insists her dog be treated following a snake bite, and a heart-to-heart between Weatherill and Ormerod leads to a passionate kiss.
Sister Brigid has a crisis of faith over a mother whose life is in danger. Family secrets are exposed when a hunting trip ends in tragedy, and Ken and Harper clash over the hospital laundry.
A frantic mother and father bring their daughter to the Royal for whooping cough treatment, and Cheriton is shocked to hear the girl hasn't been vaccinated because of her parents' fears of the side-effects. Tragically, the youngster dies - leaving the worried staff to cope with an influx of children in need of immunisation.
Ormerod rushes to help following a boating accident, but realises he's been sent to the wrong location, and when he finally arrives at the disaster scene, his efforts to save a man's life prove futile. On returning to the hospital, he angrily chastises Lizzie for the misinformation - only to realise he was too hasty in blaming her. Can he make amends? Meanwhile, PC Ventress comes to the Royal with two men who had been fighting over a girl, and one promptly collapses due to a brain haemorrhage. Weatherill faces a testing time when she helps deliver a baby which is tragically stillborn and nurse Meryl reveals she suspects she may be pregnant.
As preparations get under way for the Royal's charity ball, Ken Hopkirk is forced to rescue the band hired for the evening when their van breaks down en route. Meanwhile, Dr. Weatherill faces a traumatic time as one of her patients discovers she has contracted syphilis and Dr. Ormerod resolves to move on when it emerges that his wife will not recover from her coma.
A student nurse causes quite a stir when she arrives in the middle of the night, while Ken and Alun contend with a farming family suffering a crisis. Brigid and Jill deliver a Down's syndrome baby whose parents don't want anything to do with it, and Lizzie's crash diet has alarming consequences.
Tragedy strikes at the Royal v Ashfordly General rugby match, as Cheriton dives to score a try, only to be pounced on by opponents. It soon emerges that his injuries are serious, and Ormerod rushes to help his colleague - but his efforts prove futile and Cheriton dies at the scene. Meanwhile, Alun is involved in a road accident caused by a man who recently suffered a stroke, and student nurse Samantha Beaumont fails to impress Matron and Sister Brigid by putting pink sheets on the ward's beds.
New GP and anaesthetist Dr. Jeffrey Goodwin has a tough first day at work when he witnesses a car crash, gets attacked by one of the drivers involved and has his own vehicle and possessions stolen on his way to The Royal. After recovering from his injuries, Goodwin treats local landowner Lord Firminger who's collapsed on his estate, and gets off to a shaky start with Rose by asking him to perform emergency surgery on a cancer victim. Back at the hospital, Cheriton's mother Annette arrives to collect her dead son's things, surprising staff nurse Meryl Taylor by revealing a photo of a fiancee she never knew about.
Ormerod faces a difficult dilemma when Caroline's father Henry turns up suggesting they turn off her life-support machine, having done all they can, but the guilt-ridden doctor wonders whether he'd only be letting her die so he can be with Weatherill. Meanwhile, Goodwin puts his career on the line when he allows a member of the public to cure a back injury, student nurse Samantha Beaumont is less than impressed by a date with theatre technician Alun Morris and a patient's pet parrot causes chaos in the hospital.
The Health Authority announce they plan to reorganise management at The Royal, leaving Mr Harper less than keen to re-apply for his job, so Ken and Alun decide to convince him otherwise by moving him into a luxurious new office - but their plans end in disaster after he accidentally spoons cockroach poison into his tea. Meanwhile, Goodwin's medical skills are questioned when he wrongly accuses a cafe of making a local jazz band ill and a dinner party turns murderous for Ormerod and Weatherill when their host reveals he suspects his wife is trying to kill him.
The staff are excited by the arrival of a TV film crew at the hospital, especially Mr Harper, who is desperate to be caught on camera - and it looks like his dreams of stardom may be about to come true when Mr Middleditch gives him an important job for the broadcast. Elsewhere, the atmosphere is much more tense, as Dr. Ormerod and nurse Meryl Taylor are called out to help a boy who has been trapped below the surface of an icy lake for 20 minutes - and to make matters worse, the ambulance carrying the unconscious lad back to hospital gets caught in a snowdrift. On a lighter note, Ray Piper is brought in with a huge bump on his head - and there's much hilarity when it turns out his wife has hit him with a frozen turkey. But before the day is out, he's not the only member of his family to be admitted.
Brigid arrives at a decision and Lucy Klein is disturbed by the unscheduled reappearance of a figure from the past. Mr. Harper rests on his laurels, certain his future is assured, while Ormerod and Weatherill reveal they are about to end their relationship - only to find the news is already common knowledge.
Goodwin comes to the aid of a man brought in with a leg injury which his friend claims was sustained in an agricultural accident, but it soon emerges that he's actually suffering a gunshot wound - prompting his panic-stricken acquaintance to pull a revolver on the hospital staff. As armed police surround the Royal, the doctors strive to persuade him to hand over the gun, but will they be able to prevent further bloodshed? Meanwhile, Ormerod helps fossil collectors hurt in a landslide, Matron tries to convince Sister Brigid to return to work and student nurse Samantha Beaumont is less than impressed at the offer of a date with Alun Morris.
The residents are pleased when a fair comes to Elsinby, but Jeffrey and Samantha have their work cut out when the waltzer operator becomes trapped in the ride's mechanism. He's rushed to the hospital, where Mr. Rose operates, and reveals his father has been suffering dizzy spells recently. A concerned Jeffrey heads back to the fairground, but he's too late to prevent disaster. Meanwhile, Ken hatches a dubious money-making scheme and Jill is forced to confront a patient's wife.
A group of drunken mods arrive at the hospital in a shocking state, and Ken Hopkirk soon makes the grim discovery that they have been drinking industrial alcohol supplied by their friend, theatre technician Alun Morris. Meanwhile, a fourth member of the boozing group is brought in and has his stomach pumped immediately - but it soon emerges that the illicit hooch has blinded him. Elsewhere, Mr Rose and his surgical team treat a widow with a gangrenous toe at her farmhouse, and student nurse Samantha Beaumont receives a telling-off for laying out operating instruments in an incorrect order.
The hospital staff have an intriguing case on their hands when local tramp Sebastian Fox is found dead. Ken Hopkirk rummages through his belongings and is surprised to find war medals, leading to the discovery that he was a decorated Navy hero. When a relative is traced but refuses to help with funeral arrangements, the Royal team decide to give him a fitting send-off by scattering his ashes at sea. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Goodwin is shocked to discover a farmer's cattle herd have contracted a disease which has passed into cheese that's available in the area, and Jill Weatherill, Matron and Sister Brigid encounter a runaway girl.
Dr. Ormerod is furious to discover the police have launched an investigation into his wife's death, and reveals in a heated outburst that she was planning to leave him at the time of the accident. Bad news strikes a family when it emerges a couple's son has developed a hereditary heart disorder, a mother-to-be suffers kidney failure during childbirth and hospital porter Ken Hopkirk needs an operation after injuring himself while lifting a piano. Romance blossoms for Dr. Goodwin and student nurse Samantha Beaumont, and Lizzie Kennoway's driving lesson ends in disaster when she slams into the back of Mr. Harper's parked car.
Ormerod faces a taxing time when a prison van overturns on the moors. The driver is killed, a guard is seriously injured and one of the convicts escapes, while the others are rounded up and taken for treatment at the hospital, where Ken Hopkirk recognises an old friend. Goodwin fails to diagnose a serious case of post-natal depression - an error which almost ends in tragedy when the mother is found standing perilously close to a cliff-edge - and student nurse Samantha Beaumont discovers she has an unexpected love rival.
Ormerod faces a testing time when his father-in-law arrives demanding to know whether he was seeing Dr. Weatherill while his late daughter was still alive. Following a heated exchange, it emerges that the disgruntled patriarch has hired a private detective to investigate the couple - but the situation only serves to bring them closer together, culminating in a marriage proposal. At the Royal, a painfully thin girl causes concern for Goodwin - whose green-eyed monster emerges when student nurse Samantha Beaumont agrees to a date with a younger man - and the hospital is evacuated after a suicide victim's corpse is brought in emitting toxic fumes.
Jill and Gordon's wedding day finally arrives, but a huge explosion at a nearby care home disrupts proceedings in spectacular fashion. As the Royal staff help pull the elderly residents out of the rubble, the horrifying truth behind the cause of the accident is discovered.
Mr. Harper prepares for the arrival of an important private patient, who proves useful when a badly injured teenager is brought in after an industrial accident after Dr. Goodwin puts his career on the line to fight for justice for the accident victim. Sister Brigid helps a terminally ill alcoholic called Rory, and Lizzie comes to terms with her husband's recent behaviour and looks ahead to the future.
A routine visit turns into a nightmare for Jill when she is taken hostage by a psychologically damaged ex-prisoner of war, who has barricaded himself into his house and booby-trapped the surrounding land with mines. Meanwhile, Harper is spotted paying frequent visits to a woman in town and Alun is suspended from duty when his noisy band practice causes a woman to slip and break her hip.
Dr. Weatherill is involved in an air rescue to save an unconscious girl and finds herself braving a cliff abseil to reach the youngster. Dr. Ormerod faces a difficult time when he misdiagnoses a patient who is left fighting for life later in hospital. Sister Brigid has an accident on her bike, while Harper faces a staff revolt.
New recruit Thelma Parker catches the eye of Harper, but proves to be less popular with the rest of the team, and an injured boxer causes concern for the staff at the hospital. Dr. Weatherill finds herself caught in an ethical battle when the parents of a dangerously ill baby refuse treatment, while Samantha receives unwanted news.
Samantha struggles to cope with the reality of her recent discovery and takes desperate action which leaves her life hanging in the balance. Frankie and Gordon attempt a daring rescue to help a teenager in danger on the weir, while Ken has something to hide from Harper. Jeff's casual encounter with a friend of Lizzie's suddenly turns serious when he realises his career could be at risk.
Nurse Stella Davenport arrives at the Royal with a less than favourable reputation, and soon causes a stir among the staff and patients as rumours about her circulate the hospital. Matron and Harper discover a new approach to interviewing when they try to fill a ward domestic vacancy, while Dr. Ormerod is left to deal with the dramatic aftermath of a domestic dispute, and Lizzie realises her new scooter might have been an ill-advised purchase.
When Matron is attacked by a thief, everyone is surprised to discover who was responsible - but there appears to be more to the case than meets the eye. Goodwin is upset when it becomes clear he has acquired a bad reputation around the hospital and the staff worry about the threat of a tuberculosis epidemic.
Sister Brigid faces a struggle as she tries to convince her superior at the convent to seek medical help when it becomes obvious she is seriously ill. Jill discovers the answer to a puzzling medical case in an unlikely source, before receiving news from Samantha about the father of her baby. Frankie tells Lizzie his amorous plans, then finds them thwarted when he sees Staff Nurse Taylor with Dr. Goodwin.
Dr. Goodwin faces the pressure as rumours about him frantically circulate the hospital and when Dr. Weatherill passes on some important news, he wastes no time in using it to set the record straight. Nurse Taylor's happiness about her future with Frankie is sensationally shattered as the extent of his dishonesty is revealed, while Matron is shocked to see a familiar face on the ward.
Johnny Lomax's proposal to Matron causes Nigel Harper to worry about the effect her decision will have on the hospital, and Jill comes into conflict with a strict Catholic family. Ormerod and Frankie face a tough rescue operation as they try to save an injured fisherman trapped on board a sinking ship, while Staff Nurse Taylor's plans for the future are once again scuppered.
Matron is forced to change her plans after a tragic turn of events and decides to withdraw her resignation. Nurse Taylor grows closer to Jeff as they tackle an unusual medical emergency, but later finds herself confronted by an angry Frankie. Harper's money-saving schemes backfire in spectacular fashion, while an argument over a patient's health sparks off a chain of events which leaves Gordon's life hanging in the balance.
Dr. Ormerod returns to work after his accident, but when his brusque treatment of a hypochondriac schoolgirl ends in tragedy, it's clear he still needs time to recover. New nurse Catherine Deane starts her rounds on the wards, and Mr. Middleditch has a surprise announcement to make.
Mr. Middleditch brings his reign to an end as he hands over the ledgers to the new administrator - having craftily secured the hospital's future. Dr. Ormerod's plaster comes off, Mr. Rose risks his own skin to save a friend during a game of golf, and a trivial accident leads a family to make a major and heartbreaking discovery.
A local nightclub owner is admitted with symptoms of poisoning, and his son is quick to point the finger of suspicion at his father's glamorous wife. Frankie is shocked to see Dr. Ormerod doubt himself as they tend to a drunken farmer after a tractor accident, while Dr. Goodwin deals with a case of domestic abuse and a stationery salesman takes a shine to Lizzie.
Dr. Goodwin is accused of taking sides when he goes too far to help a woman who claims her husband is hitting her, and there is a mystery to solve when a patient is admitted under a false name. Meanwhile, Dr. Ormerod's strange behaviour shows signs of becoming worse - and Frankie fears the surgeon is becoming addicted to his medication.
The hospital has its hands full when a typhoid epidemic breaks out in the community. Things get worse as the disease's source is traced back to the wards and staff struggle to locate it. Dr. Weatherill is forced to reprimand Dr. Ormerod after catching him sleeping on the job - but also has a startling piece of news to give him.
Frankie faces trouble when someone tries to steal his motorbike
When a day at the beach ends in tragedy for a local family, Carnegie questions Weatherill's competence. An outraged Dr Ormerod leaps to Jill's defence, but divulges her condition in doing so.
While treating a sick baby, Dr Goodwin uncovers some dark secrets that its parents would prefer to keep hidden. Rose and Ormarod have an adventure at a hippy encampment. Catherine gains an admirer.
The arrival of a new locum ruffles some feathers. A day at the races seems a perfect location for Carnegie and Catherine to enjoy they first date - but only if they can keep out of everyone's way.
Dr Makri takes a crash course in dealing with Yorkshire folk. Stella deals with the confessions of a window cleaner.
A patient who set fire to his own shop attempts to avoid police questioning by leaping into an ambulance and driving off towards the pier - unaware that Alun and a sick man are in the back of the vehicle.
A wedding reception at Elsinby Pier goes with a bang, when a fishing trawler careers off track. Adam Carnegie is forced to make a difficult choice and the hospital look forward to a new arrival when Dr Weatherill goes into labour.
Weatherill decides to return to work after having a baby. A local family prove a handful for the hospital staff. In Africa, Goodwin faces the horrors of war and makes a promise to a dying woman - but can he keep his word?
Goodwin returns to England with Nkeshi, but his plans for her future face some opposition. A singing superstar requires a hospital stay but Frankie almost loses his job when the paparazzi catch them in flagrante.
When a mother falls seriously ill, staff at the hospital are faced with a dilemma.
Lady Isabella Martindale has had a horse riding accident and is driven to THE ROYAL by her Chauffeur Tom, who Lizzie takes an instant liking to! Whilst Mr Rose diagnoses Lady Isabella with a broken ankle, Adam Carnegie tries to charm her into making a donation to the private wards.
Due to a mix-up over the job offer two new doctors arrive at the hospital to take up the position. Meanwhile, Catherine makes her feelings clear to Carnegie about their relationship and Stella's night out ends badly.
An expectant mother attends for treatment, but is harassed by her ex-husband. Stella is relieved to find she has not contracted an infection from her attacker, but suffers accusations of lying to save her reputation. Meanwhile, Sister Brigid makes a misguided suggestion, and a surprise visitor from overseas forces Goodwin to reconsider his future plans.
Mr Middleditch makes a surprise return to the hospital in the back of an ambulance, having hurt his ankle while fishing. Stella grudgingly welcomes Marian McKaig as her room-mate, but the new nurse quickly catches Alun's eye. Meanwhile, a frantic mother calls for Mike's help at a hippie commune, where her hostile husband is refusing help from the outside world.
A patient is admitted with a fever and a swollen arm covered in black lesions, but Mike is nowhere to be seen. Blood tests confirm a case of anthrax, prompting an investigation by the Public Health Officer. Elsewhere, a specialist is summoned when a woman's dizzy spells cause concern, while Alun and Lizzie are intrigued by the mysterious appearance of a young woman.
A piano teacher (guest star George Costigan) remains suspiciously secretive about his past when brought in to casualty after collapsing outside the hospital. Matron's revelation about Susie cools Alun's interest in her, and Mike takes pity on a mother while he treats her son. Elsewhere, Jill delivers bad news to an elderly patient and the porters are forced to take industrial action in support of a colleague.
A commuter train crash initiates an emergency caesarian operation on a pregnamt woman, unfortunately the baby is transported to ashfordly General, and fate claims the life of the premature infant, making Jill more determined than ever to support Carnegie's plans for a preemy baby unit at the hospital. Meanwhile, local farmer Sam Benson (guest star Jack Deam) causes concern with his erratic behaviour, and Stella's rapist requires life-saving surgery after being attacked by the father of another victim.
Suspicion falls on Adam over missing hospital funds and Mike attends a meeting to assess the mental welfare of a 50-year-old man who still lives with his mother. Elsewhere, Gordon's ex-father-in-law pays an unexpected visit with some sobering news and Ken has a confession to make to his colleagues.
Jill becomes unwell after earlier receiving the results of a pregnancy test. Elsewhere, when a baby goes missing, suspicion falls on the parents of a girl admitted with a broken ankle. Meanwhile, Gordon makes a discovery about a diabetic patient that explains his behaviour and, in a dramatic finale, tragedy looms over the hospital.
Susie and Carnegie's relationship is the talk of the hospital. Marian is stunned when she discovers Susie didn’t sleep in her bed last night and wastes no time in filling in Lizzie. Meanwhile, Jack is shocked when he spots Susie and Carnegie kissing in the back of Carnegie’s steamed up Jaguar!
Dr Burnett is tending to 11 year old Mandy McMorrow, she’s been brought in to casualty with a fever by her father, who is a single parent. Burnett suggests she takes a few days off school and rest at home. However, Mr McMorrow is an out of work teacher with a job interview to go to and no one to look after his daughter. Feeling he has no choice, he persuades Mandy’s friend, Gail , to miss school and keep her company while he’s out. Will he regret his irresponsible actions?
Weatherill is concerned when she discovers Sister Brigid has been looking for prospective parents to adopt Moira’s baby and has already arranged for her to have the baby in a Catholic mother and baby nursing home. Is Moira aware of her sister’s plans?
Ormerod and Weatherill have accompanied Sister Brigid to Ireland for Moira’s funeral. As they arrive at the church, Omerod struggles with his emotions, feeling he could have done more to save Moira. Brigid’s sure the baby’s father won’t come clean but Weatherill catches a glimpse between Sister Brigid and local police man, Sergeant O’Malley and quickly realises he’s the father. He’s a married man and it’s clear his wife has no idea.
In Ireland, Sister Brigid has accepted that she’ll have to give up her life as a nun for the baby and prays for the Lord’s understanding. Ormerod is concerned Brigid is making a mistake but she feels it’s her duty. He voices his concerns to her and her parents, but she’s upset when her father suggests the baby is adopted by a childless Catholic couple. Brigid’s in turmoil and Ormerod and Weatherill decide to stay in Ireland another day to offer her support and advice while she makes this life changing decision.
Weatherill and Ormerod have returned from Ireland and are back at The Royal, much to everyone’s relief. However, Sister Brigid is put out that Weatherill has come to work so soon and has left baby Aisling with a nanny who they’ve only just met. Is she regretting her decision to let them adopt her niece? Will she let them get on with raising Aisling and stop interfering?
As the hospital staff come to terms with the loss of Stella and Frankie, everyone’s surprised when an attractive surfer, who crashes into Dr Burnett’s car, turns out to be the new ambulance driver, Bobby. Alun is getting ready for a gig in town with his new band and deafens everyone while he practices in the porter’s office. Marian reasons that they should all go and watch the gig as Stella loved a good night out and wouldn’t want to see her friends sitting in every night. However, when Dr Burnett explains he can’t go as he’s on call, Marian is soon charmed by Bobby, who agrees to be her date to the gig. Will Marian turn to Bobby for a good time?
Dr Burnett is called out to a run down farm house where 15-year-old Simon, who has speech and learning difficulties, is running a high fever. The farm is in a bad state and the family seem to be struggling to cope. They’re horrified when Burnett reveals he needs to get Simon to hospital ASAP in order to rule out meningitis. Will they get to the bottom of Simon’s illness?
Alun and Jack are delighted when Casualty is overrun by a gaggle of screaming teenage bikini-clad girls. Dr Burnett discovers the girls have been stung by jellyfish on the beach when one of the girls, Lucy, collapses with a swollen bite on her leg.
With Susie and Carnegie's relationship becoming the focus of talk in the hospital, Matron reaches the end of her patience and decides to suspend Susie when she's late for work. Mr Rose faces a personal test when a golfing friend of his has to into the operating theatre, Nick copes struggles with a dilemna and Gordon and Bobby are called to a farming accident where a man is trapped by a combine harvester.
Nick races against time to save two schoolgirls who have been poisoned by carbon monoxide, Susie has to use quick thinking when Matron falls ill during their picnic on the cliff front and has to go into hospital, giving Susie an opportunity to prove herself. In the meantime, a man is training to become a priest, which causes a family problem which Jill needs to sort out.
Sister Brigid helps to make a bright future for her sister Moira and her baby. However when things take a shocking twist Gordon and Jill have to make a heartrending decision. Susie does her best to be the perfect nurse and ends her relationship with Carnegie. However he proposes to her. Meanwhile Bobby has to deal with the violent stepfather of a local thug, taking matters into his own hands.
Mr Middleditch has come in to St Aidan's hospital, accompanied by his wife, for a routine operation. Noticing that Mrs Middleditch looks unwell, the hospital decides to give her a blood transfusion. Distracted by the attentions of a rich divorced playboy, who has promised to marry her, Susie Dixon administers the wrong blood, which later results in serious consequences for both her and the patient.
A new student nurse arrives at the Royal. Lizzie falls for a motorcycle stunt rider who is convinced he’s destined to live fast, die young. But Dr Ormerod comes up with a different diagnosis.
A patient with cancer dies unexpectedly after a visit from Dr Ormerod, and the grieving family point the finger at him. Dr Omerod is arrested on suspicion of murder – how will he prove his innocence? Dr Ralph Ellis holds a clinic at the local prison and is concerned about the mental health of one of his patients. When a full scale riot breaks out, Ralph’s trapped. Will he escape unscathed?
A secret from Jean’s past resurfaces when the wife of a former lover arrives at the Royal and accuses Jean of being up to her old tricks. When things take a shocking turn Jean is forced to reconsider her future as well as her past.
A family day out at the park ends in disaster for the Ormerods, Dr Ellis risks getting too involved with a patient in trouble and Lizzie attempts to improve her word power - with interesting results.
A girls’ trip out on board a pirate radio ship ends badly when they are embroiled in a siege. And Drs Ormerod and Weatherill are mystified when a girl guide leader recovers miraculously from a stroke.
There is a near crash on the road which involves a woman called Dolly and her daughter Alison and a rich aristocratic heir and his girlfriend. Ellis and Ormerod are called out to attend the scene of the accident. The car with Dolly and Alison in it ends up crashing into the lake to avoid the other car. With the car sinking Jack attempts to get them out. The other couple are taken to the hospital to be checked out where a water tank comes crashing through the ceiling and traps Tom the male driver. Suffering with a a ruptured spleen, Ormerod and Rose manage to free him and get him to theatre for surgery.
The hospital’s future is in doubt following DHA's decision not to sanction a financial package to repair the Casualty department. The hospital is only offered an authorised high interest loan, that doesn’t cover all the costs of the everything that needs to be done. The hospital's budget for the year ahead has also been cut so that the Royal will need to dip into the Middleditch trust fund to keep the hospital open. Jean ends up announcing that the only way forward is to consider a a complete closure of Casualty. Ralph ends up taking some secret action to rectify the situation but also ends up bringing up some difficult issues in his past. Carol and Ralph finally end up getting together.
A can of worms is opened when Gordon attends to a local family's problems, and when violence spills onto the Royal's wards he gets caught up in the crossfire. Meanwhile, baby Aisling's adoption is final. However, Sister Brigid is confused by her feelings.
