Zoe and Max's explosive wedding reception leaves more than one member of the hospital staff fighting for their life. Meanwhile, Jacob is forced to institute emergency protocol when gang violence takes a deadly turn, but the team still struggles to prevent it from infiltrating the department as one casualty leads to more
Events continue to spiral out of control at the department as the tension rises as the team fight to save Charlie.
Zoe convinces a bride-to-be to postpone her wedding after the groom passes out in a condemned building on his stag do. Meanwhile, Iain faces an assault charge after an altercation with a traffic warden and Louise must try to overcome challenges as she struggles on her first day of nursing
On her first day, new junior doctor Alicia treats a vulnerable pregnant woman and realises her relationship is not what it seems. Meanwhile, Dylan returns to work and makes an effort with Lofty, Connie turns down a date with Jacob, and Ethan and Honey call it off.
When perpetrators smash a bottle of acid in a room full of racist supporters, terror comes to Holby when victims from the attack are brought to the emergency department. During the commotion, Alicia performs a risky procedure on a petrified patient and Jacob puts his life on the line for Connie. Meanwhile, Zoe still hopes that Max can forgive her
Iain and Dixie are pushed to the limit during a training exercise. Meanwhile, Dylan and Lofty treat an accident-prone woman, and Lily takes great interest in a patient when she discovers he's a banker. Hospital drama, starring Amanda Mealing, William Beck and Lee Mead.
Cal finds himself back on an even keel, but it remains to be seen whether things will improve for him from here.
Love conquers all for one young couple, while Charlie helps a father and daughter deal with their grief.
Nurse Jacob manages to persuade a harassed teacher to accept help, but he needs to take his own advice.
Thing become fishy when an unlikely patient arrives in the Emergency Department, while Dylan settles into his new home and Cal falls in love with his estranged daughter. Meanwhile, Jacob learns that there is no justice in the world when he finds out that the Independent Police Complaints Commission are not going to take action against the officer who shot him, and Connie asks for a report on Alicia.
Alicia's day gets off to a bad start when she gets caught up in a fight outside the ambulance station, forcing her to treat a patient in the back of a van. Lily's opinion of the bubbly junior doctor has not improved in the slightest, but her mentor's discouragement only pushes Alicia to try harder to prove her worth. Meanwhile, Jacob takes a vigilante approach to justice as he sets out to identify the police officer who shot him, Iain and Rita share a tender moment, and Cal brings baby Matilda into the Emergency Department after failing to find suitable child care.
Dixie has concerns about Jess when she discovers her troubled HART colleague has started taking anti-depressants, but Iain puts her suspicions down to jealousy. Cal panics when he discovers baby Matilda has developed an unusual rash, prompting him to take her in to the ED once again. Meanwhile, everyone in the department blames Lily for Alicia's decision to leave, and as the guilt begins to eat away at her, she seeks an ally in the form of Ethan.
Cal refuses to believe that Matilda is not his daughter, and decides to contest the outcome of the paternity test by discovering his blood group. However, when the results come back in, he makes a far more shocking discovery that leaves him shaken and bereft of any sense of identity. Meanwhile, Jacob impresses Connie by keeping his anger under control while dealing with an uncooperative patient, and an encounter in the staff room causes the sexual tension between the pair to grow.
As winter sets in and the festive season approaches, treacherous conditions, bitter cold snaps and the odd bit of over-enthusiastic celebration have a habit of taking their toll on the emergency services. The same is true for the staff of Holby's accident and emergency department, and while the harsh conditions provide an opportunity for some people to come together, they also threaten to tear others apart.
As Connie's burgeoning romance with Jacob continues to blossom, the unflappable consultant realises she must not let her personal life interfere with her duties as clinical lead. However, in doing so, she ends up dismissing her new lover when his instincts alert him to a very real problem.
Christmas Eve arrives in Holby, and spirits are unexpectedly high in the emergency department, although not everyone is feeling merry. A nervous Cal seeks moral support from Charlie as he goes to meet his birth mother, but anxiety gives way to anger when he realises the woman is seriously ill, and should have contacted him sooner. Meanwhile, Iain accidentally sends a flirty text meant for Rita to Robyn, and Dixie resolves to do what's right for Olivia when she learns her superiors are investigating Jess's complaint.
Cal struggles with his recent terrifying discovery and, on the morning after the night before, is involved in a car crash, and recognises that he could still be over the limit. Ethan, Charlie and Connie all pull together to help him in his hour of need, especially when the police come to investigate the accident, and as he sees how much people care about him, he tries to find the bravery needed to cope with the situation
Nikki is not quite ready to let her family go, prompting Dixie to selflessly jump into the fray to save them from her wrath. However, her actions have a bittersweet outcome. Charlie suggests Cal should turn to genetic testing to solve his dilemma, but with Ethan racked with guilt over missing Olivia's signs of abuse, Cal decides breaking the news to his troubled brother might make things worse. Meanwhile, Lofty fails to impress Rita as he campaigns for promotion and feels he has let himself down.
Flossy, an ailing elderly woman who was previously a heart transplant patient, arrives at the ED complaining of pains in her stomach. With her is Mo, whose late son was the donor whose heart Flossy received. At the age of 80, Flossy believes she has lived a good, long life, and is ready to die, but Ethan faces an impossible dilemma as high demand leaves him without a bed in which to make Flossy's passing more comfortable. Young couple Lee and Sarah face a deadly setback in their plans to go travelling when they're involved in a car crash, while a trip to the emergency department offers Lee some much-needed perspective on his relationship. An angry patient clashes with Louise when he claims he is being 'refused treatment' for what could very well be a simple case of the common cold.
Office prankster Murray makes use of a fake scratch card to trick his colleague Claire into thinking she has won £100,000. Buoyed by her supposed success, Claire quits her job and prepares to claim her winnings, but a nasty mishap takes her to the ED, where she eventually discovers the truth, and decides to take advantage of her situation to get her own back on her co-worker. Meanwhile, Noel is mugged by a mysterious assailant, while Big Mac cowers nearby. When Noel regains consciousness relatively unharmed, he assumes Mac drove the attacker away, and proclaims him a hero. Elsewhere, Ethan's frustration over the restrictions enforced by the system causes him to take drastic action.
The day of Dixie's disciplinary hearing arrives, but things get off to a bad start when she is held up by an incident, and when Jess asks her to move to Cornwall with her and Olivia, the paramedic must decide whether to follow her head or her heart. Lily desperately hopes to re-establish her bond with Ethan by trying to convince him to stay, Connie tries to come up with a meaningful gift to make up for missing Jacob's birthday, and Robyn's appearance on the cover of Holby Pulse only serves to increase Big Mac's feeling of shame over abandoning Noel to his mystery mugger. Medical drama, starring Jane Hazlegrove.
Having to put aside his dissatisfaction, Ethan returns to work and teams up with Lily to help a young girl with autism as he tries to settle back in.
Grace and Sam are back at the hospital and it transpires that Sam's girlfriend Emma hasn't been well and it's now down to Connie to try and save her life.
Grace ends up having a panic attack and Sam convinces Connie that she's not a good mother. Jacob realises that Connie doesn't want Grace to leave again, and tells her she needs to prove her love to her daughter.
Big Mac does his best to apologise to Noel after he learns the truth as Lofty tries to deal with the pressure of his new responsibilities.
Following the Diana incident, Lofty has to decide what to say in his statement. Dylan wants him to make it clear that it was an accident. Lofty needs to decide whether to confess everything to Rita or carry the burden forever.
Iain isn't too pleased at being partnered with another paramedic as Emilie asks Caleb and Ethan to take her to one bay for the last time as Lofty attends a panel over what happened.
Connie becomes embroiled in a convicted cuddleer's plan to escape from prison by being admitted to Holby, in the company of his prison guard lover. As the situation escalates, Connie's fate is placed squarely in Jacob's hands, and he willingly places himself in danger to keep her safe. Meanwhile, Big Mac tries to help his old tormentor Mercedes to see the error of her ways, for the sake of her son, and a distressed Ethan snubs Cal - and everyone else.
Having been told Connie has to focus on Grace and can't be with him, Jacob goes out with the paramedics as Ethan reveals to Lily that he has Huntington's as Connor turns to Max for help.
Jacob takes it upon himself to hunt down a dangerous drug dealer as Big Mac is unable to get Zoe to write another prescription and begins to suffer withdrawal symptoms as Connor calls Max for help instead of his mother.
Rita receives the surprise of her life when a face from her past arrives at the ED, and as old ghosts come back to haunt her, she struggles to keep her emotions in check.
Big Mac's secret painhugger dependency is starting to take its toll on his health, and when the drugs he stole are reported as missing, he realises it is time to admit he has a problem. Charlie informs Rita a number of complaints have been made against her, but when she investigates, she realises none of the offended patients actually exist. Plus, an explosion at a construction site causes trouble for two former gangsters seeking to put their criminal pasts behind them. Medical drama, starring Charles Dale.
When Max sees Connor being bundled into a car, Max plays the hero and puts himself in danger as the department's newest nurse David Hide is rather quiet as Mark continues to bother Rita.
It is Elle Gardner's first day in the department as the newest consultant as it proves to be a baptism of fire as Zoe reveals to Max she is leaving for America, David finds himself struggling to fit it.
Dylan receives a nasty surprise when Bryan turns up at the ED, having cut his hand smashing a window after locking baby Rihanna in his car. While Bryan apologises for his past behaviour, Dylan is not so sure he can ever change. Connie discovers Jacob and Elle are old friends, and the pair are given a chance to catch up while dealing with injuries at the scene of a factory accident. However, when Elle starts asking strange, probing questions about the status quo at Holby, it becomes there is an ulterior motive behind her recent arrival. Meanwhile, Charlie encourages David to be more confident, and Big Mac lies to Noel about seeking help with his addiction.
Big Mac struggles to hide the toll his addiction is taking and steals some painhuggers from a patient's bag. Charlie notices his odd behaviour, and demands to know the truth, prompting the troubled health care assistant to confess the truth. Robyn is determined to bring David out of his shell, and Dylan tries to befriend Max. Rita needs somewhere to stay and Iain suggests she take up residence in his spare room, but when Jez warns him he is getting in too deep, he begins to have second thoughts about his offer.
Elle is pressed into a corner by Hanssen, who wants to know who has been stealing drugs. After a shocking discovery, she is forced to choose between the good of the department and the people in it. Robyn and David's morality cafe proves a success, Rita pushes Iain away until a threatening incident makes her seek his help, and Cal urges Iain to try flirting with a patient, but his efforts go disastrously wrong.
In the wake of Charlie's suspension, Big Mac still refuses to come clean about stealing the drugs. However, a spark of his better nature remains, and when he bravely steps into the line of fire to protect an abused young girl, he finds the courage to admit to his crimes. Meanwhile, Elle receives a frosty reception from her colleagues following her harsh treatment of Charlie, and Rita relishes the attention she is receiving from Iain, despite still being angry with him.
Charlie gets a surprise when Duffy pops down to the department back as an agency nurse as the department are still bitter towards Elle as Iain is freaking out with Rita saying they are back together.
Rita arrives for work with a black eye leaving Iain assuming Mark was responsible as Jacob begins to show some nerves when he presents his 'gun-shot wound' policy as Connie provides some support.
Brian's stray cigarette butt causes a house fire, placing both Hazel and Rihanna's lives in danger. Escaping from the blaze in the nick of time, Hazel and her daughter are rushed to the ED, where Dylan puts aside familial ties to treat them. However, when it emerges Brian was the one who started the fire, Dylan tells him he's not fit to be a father. Meanwhile, there is a nasty surprise in store for Robyn as Glen proves to be not quite what he seemed, and Charlie correctly guesses Connie and Jacob are back together.
Rita receives a frosty reception from her colleagues after her lies to Iain were revealed, but everyone must put aside their animosity when a pair of love-rivals are admitted to the ED after a scuffle at a hotel leaves them both impaled on the same spike. Meanwhile, Jez is so busy showing off that he forgets to fill the ambulance with petrol, Connie considers telling Grace about her relationship with Jacob, and Robyn is devastated following her break-up with Glen.
Grace's friend Carmel injures herself while playing on a trampoline, and when Grace rushes home to seek Connie's professional aid, she discovers the truth about her mother and Jacob. As everyone heads to A&E with Carmel, Connie works to make amends with her thoroughly displeased daughter, while also trying to get to the bottom of a mysterious set of scratches found on young Carmel's stomach. Meanwhile, Glen is admitted to Holby having apparently been found drunk out on the street, but when it becomes clear he hasn't been drinking, a more devastating prognosis comes to light.