In the surgical department of Holby City Hospital, surgeons Anton Meyer and Nick Jordan race against time to carry out a heart transplant operation, but first they have to make the difficult choice between two possible recipients, Alan Kenyon and Simon Harwood. Nurses Julie Fitzjohn and Jasmine Hopkins vie for the post of Deputy Ward Sister.

Nick Jordan is put to the test when he is the only cardio-thoracic surgeon available to perform an urgent operation. Jasmine Hopkins has to use all of her diplomatic skills to remake a good working relationship with Julie Fitzjohn. There is a tough new ward sister, Karen Newburn, for everyone to contend with; it appears she and Nick Jordan have a ‘history'.

Kirstie Collins, who is helping Muriel McKendrick with the trial of a new drug, finds a severe adverse reaction from a patient, and wants to alert the drugs company, but McKendrick warns her against doing so. The staff of Darwin Ward, the cardiology ward, struggle to stop the spread of the life-threatening MRSA infection; suspicion about its origin falls on Nurse Julie Fitzjohn. There's gossip about Nick Jordan and Karen Newburn.

Kirstie Collins catches Nick Jordan in a compromising situation with Ellie Sharpe in a linen cupboard. Nicola Fallon, the girl in a coma, reaches crisis point, and her parents face an agonising decision.

Nick Jordan has to assist Anton Meyer on a heart operation on a new-born baby, but he expresses his reservations to him. Julie Fitzjohn helps a young mother with a heart-breaking dilemma. Meanwhile, the pressure is building on house officer Victoria Merrick, after she saves the life of a patient, Chris Woodhouse, and she resorts to taking drugs at work.

Nick Jordan helps a family to make a difficult decision, but he can't escape a clash with Karen Newburn over their troubled past, as well as an altercation with an ex-boyfriend of Ellie Sharpe's. Anton Meyer and Muriel McKendick are still clashing over the allocation of beds.

The treatment of a young woman, Christine, causes conflict between Anton Meyer and Muriel McKendrick. Nick Jordan is put in charge of a delicate heart operation by Meyer, and has to ask Kirstie Collins to assist, even though it means her missing an exam.

Sunny Sunderland enters a radio phone-in competition, winning a large sum of money - for charity. Victoria Merrick risks throwing away her medical career by continuing taking drugs. Muriel McKendrick finds the ideal recipient for her latest breakthrough in medical procedures - unfortunately, the patient is a former colleague, who passes on some revealing insights into McKenrick's past to Kirstie Collins, much to Collins's delight. Two visiting friends of a young patient, Darren Ingram, deliberately disturb his medical equipment, with near fatal results. When they steal some drugs, they are chased by Jasmine Hopkins, and they stab her in order to escape.

Jasmine Hopkins is operated on by Nick Jordan, but hovers between life and death; it's discovered she's in the early stages of pregnancy. Ray Sykes and Sunny Sunderland find out about cash-strapped Julie Fitzjohn's double life working in a night club. Karen Newburn reprimands her about it, and offers her Hopkins's post temporarily, which she accepts, giving up the other job.