BBC Holby City: Tears on and off-screen as drama ends with tragic death and NHS tribute

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

After 23 years, it was the end of an era for fans and the stars of Holby City. The BBC One medical drama ended with an emotional final episode that celebrated the spirit of the NHS and featured a tragic death.

A number of past characters returned for Holby's swansong which aired on Tuesday night and saw the death of surgeon Jac Naylor, played by Rosie Marcel who has appeared in the show since 2005, following a long-running storyline about the effects of a brain tumour.

The episode showed the dedication of colleagues who tried to save her and also highlighted the lives that can be saved and enriched through organ donations. It also featured the reappearance of past characters including Ric Griffin, played by Hugh Quarshie, and Mo Effanga, played by Chizzy Akudolu.

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The episode began with Jac shrugging off the failure to remove her brain tumour in her typical, witty style before Elliot Hope, played by Paul Bradley, took himself off to find another way of saving her after the unsuccessful operation he had returned to perform.

Jac then called on Adrian 'Fletch' Fletcher, played by Alex Walkinshaw, to write her a do-not-resuscitate order after she made a request for no medical intervention. Later, when Sacha Levy, played by Bob Barrett, tended to her he said: "You love me really," as Jac replied: "You know I do," as her voice grew faint as she suffered a stroke.

With nothing more they could do, the Holby City team shared their emotion and grief before viewers learnt that Jac had decided to donate her organs, including her heart, lungs, liver and pancreas, to "make a difference to a lot of lives."

The medical drama then came to an end with a moving