New nurse practitioner Samantha Docherty's first day goes from bad to worse when a man she met the night before whilst out clubbing is admitted to the hospital in the custody of two police officers. Christine's promotion to consultant, despite being endorsed by Robert, seriously upsets their relationship after she tries to persuade the father of a motorbike crash victim to honour his daughter's wishes by allowing her to be an organ donor. Stuart is shocked to discover that he could not be the father of Louise's baby.

Robert deals with a young schoolteacher who is admitted with a bout of severe vomiting, and discovers that he has inadvertently drunk industrial-strength weed killer, making his chances of survival very unlikely. Stuart tries to persuade Louise to move in with him. Jack tries to poach David from A&E to join him in surgery. Samantha refuses to take responsibility for a patient's collapse despite being his allocated practitioner. Robert notices Christine is pulling back from him emotionally and looks to Cathy for comfort.

Jack is appointed clinical director over Robert, and immediately begins trying to get Christine on his side. Mike returns from London with the intention of getting his old job back. Robert deals with a twelve-year-old gunshot victim, and tries to persuade her father to tell the police who was responsible. Kate tries to prove herself to Christine whilst dealing with two firefighters injured during a building collapse. Stuart is devastated to discover that Louise is not coming back. Mike is furious when he catches Robert with Cathy.

Robert is outraged when Christine's efforts to stretch the department budget result in a heart attack patient suffering cardiac arrest. Mike deals with a young girl who has an allergic reaction to a tongue stud. Kate is caught moonlighting when a junkie that she treated the previous night turns up at the hospital begging for painkillers. Mike deals with a young woman suffering from abdominal pain, and suspects she may be suffering from an ectopic pregnancy. Christine asserts herself as Robert continues to undermine her.

In an effort to improve departmental relations, Andrew is sent out into the field with paramedics Trish and Brian. When the trio is called to a disused warehouse by an anonymous caller, Andrew becomes suspicious and decides to investigate. He finds a group of twelve illegal Eastern European immigrants trapped beneath a collapsed tower of building cargo, but discovers that the traffickers aren't prepared to let him call for help. As a hostage situation ensues, and Brian is shot, Andrew calls upon Jack for help.

Whilst performing an intubation, Stuart fails to notice that his patient has a recessive jaw, and ends up causing a loss of oxygen to his brain. The aftermath of the situation leads to a three-way split between Robert, Jack, and Christine on how to deal with the patient's angered relatives. Andrew questions his passion for the job after treating a teenage dancer with a fractured ankle, and Mike is shocked to discover that a fracture patient he has been treating, who shows signs of a possible tumour, is in fact Judy's father.

Robert deals with a gunshot patient who is reluctant to reveal how he received his injuries. The team is angered by a new directive from management, which states that only registered consultants are allowed to carry out certain procedures. Stuart, believing his actions are responsible for the directive, is further angered when his treatment of a young rower is interrupted by Jack after he discovers that the boy is the son of a hospital trustee. Judy is devastated when her father unexpectedly dies on the operating table.

Kate and Andrew deal with a mother and daughter who are involved in a serious car accident, but Kate becomes suspicious of the father's reluctance to reveal how he sustained facial burns. The team is pushed to their limits when Yvonne and Cathy are involved in a bad accident whilst out biking. Judy's emotions finally get the better of her whilst dealing with a group of rowdy stag night revellers. Jack and Sam give in to temptation following a heart-to-heart. Robert urges Mike to apply for the registrar's post.

Andrew deals with two young children involved in a serious accident on a railway line. Terry has his hands full dealing with a disruptive patient who is determined to bribe her way into theatre. Sam deals with an infected flesh wound involving a lively young couple who have an uncontrollable urge to make love to each other. Mike is angered when Jack sabotages his interview, and he loses the registrar's post to Stuart. Sam reveals to Christine that she and Jack slept together. Robert begins to lose his patience with Jack.

Robert is angered to discover that Jack has called a risk management investigator into the hospital to question the team following the intubation disaster. Mike goes head-to-head with Robert over the treatment of a drug addict who appears to be showing signs of sickle cell anemia, and tries to help a young schoolboy whose problems seem to stem from the lack of attention from his mother. The team uses a golden opportunity to prank David when he learns that Zara Phillips is a good friend of one of his patients.

Robert confronts Jack over the risk management investigation. Unwilling to let Robert ruin his mood, Jack attends a hospital fundraiser, but is called away during the festivities by Kate, who is dealing with the victim of a motorbike crash. On his way back, he is involved in a car accident, but having been banned from driving, he flees the scene before the police arrive. Distracted, he makes a tragic misdiagnosis of Kate's patient. Mike deals with a private who appears to have been beaten by members of his squadron.

The arrival of management consultants brings Robert to his lowest ebb, and he is forced to control his emotions whilst dealing with a dementia patient whose daughter is in denial. Terry is pleased to see an old friend, Des, who has been drafted in as agency cover. But when he suspects Des of stealing controlled drugs, their reunion soon turns sour. A coach crash leads to an influx of injured football supporters, and as Christine comes across a copy of the missing X-ray, Robert announces that he is resigning.

Christine confronts Jack and forces him to admit the truth. Robert formally announces that he is leaving the hospital. A gas explosion in a poker club results in an influx of injured victims, and David's inability to thrive under pressure is called into question. Kate deals with the victim of a bicycle crash and has trouble shaking off a persistent admirer. Christine forces Jack to tell Robert the truth, but Robert isn't willing to sweep the matter under the carpet and forces Jack to tender his resignation to the board.