Medical drama focusing on the working and personal lives of the doctors and nurses working on the front line of a busy inner city Emergency Department at All Saints Hospital.
Georgie Parker stars as Terri Sullivan, the Nursing Unit Manager at All Saints Western General Hospital. She manages the general medical ward, affectionately known as the "Garbage Ward" because it takes the overflow of patients from all the other wards. Terri cares for a terminal cancer patient and reminds the elderly woman she can refuse treatment but her doctor, Harry Williams, has no intention of withdrawing treatment and accuses Terri of advocating euthanasia. The nursing staff clash with an incompetent medical intern who walks off the ward in the middle of a procedure. Connor thinks a patient is going through alcoholic withdrawal, Von gives Jared lessons on nursing, and Ward 17 plays host to a nervous bikie's wedding.
Dr. Harry Williams becomes the ward's newest, and most demanding, patient when he is admitted with a cardiac condition. While performing a delicate procedure on a patient whom she believes does not speak english, Von makes some inappropriate comments that upset her patient. Jarred connects with a young drug addict.
Ben saves the life of a drug dealer who is then admitted to Ward 17 where he antagonises Luke whose imprisoned brother he knows. Connor's social life risks affecting his job performance as he challenges Dr Wu on his treatment for a patient. Sophie returns to nursing following her husband's death and is assigned to Ward 17 but Terri has concerns about her wellbeing. Connor agrees to let Jared move in.
Bron faces the dilemma of becoming too attached to a patient when hunky muscle man Arnie Walker is brought in after falling off his motorbike. As his condition deteriorates, Bron suspects that his real problems may not be the result of the accident. Sophie faces professional and personal challenges on her first day back at work. Terri comes to the defence of a coworker who believes Terri is to blame for her dismissal.
When Jaz collapses after being slipped a party drug, Connor and Bron put their careers on line to care for her in the ward rather than officially admitting her. A cancer patient's relationship with his girlfriend dwindles due to his illness.
Emily Watson and her brother Robbie are admitted for a kidney transplant. Emily is the donor as Robbie has had reflux nephropathy since he was thirteen and has been on dialysis for most of his adolescence. Steph and Connor, who are assigned to them, express how brave and selfless Emily is being by giving her brother the ultimate gift. However, Emily down plays her sacrifice, Robbie is the one that is sick not her. Steph and Connor bond with their respective patients but in Connor's case, theres more than a hint of attraction to Emily. All seems set for the transplant and then the ward is stunned when Emily walks out of the hospital leaving a distraught Robbie behind. Connor is amazed to find Emily at Cougar's later the same night. She explains the reason behind her departure was that all her life shes been the dutiful daughter who did what was expected of her. Now she is putting number one first. Connor points out, by drawing parallels with his own brother, that being the favourite sibling, isn't always the easy ride that it seems. He also tells Emily that she has to be nil-by-mouth by midnight, if she drinks her glass of wine the op will be cancelled anyway. Rachel McMahon, an incredibly fit triathlete, is admitted with bone cancer in her upper arms. She is to have a forequarter amputation, a devastating operation for anyone but even more so, for an elite athlete. Bron is dismayed, she always seems to get the basket cases. To everyone's surprise, however, Rachel is handling things surprisingly well, using her sporting philosophy to help her cope. Peter expresses his doubts to Terri about her bravado, he realises that it's a defence mechanism. Rachel and Bron, bond and Bron attends Rachel "arm off" party. Despite initial misgivings, Bron thinks that Rachel can handle anything that is thrown at her. After the operation, however, it is a different story. Rachel is a mess, having phantom limb pains and is inconsolable about the loss of her arm. It becomes Bron's responsibility to help her.
Sophie ties to help a young West African woman who is torn between upholding traditions and concern for her health. An old friend from Von's past refuses treatment and causes difficult memories from their time in Vietnam to resurface. A young woman's illness confounds the doctors while Stephanie questions Luke's commitment to helping his patient.
Bron's favourite patient Bob Parkin is back in the ward with pneumonia. He is stunned and disbelieving when told his illness is probably HIV related, and he refuses to have an HIV test. Nor is he forthcoming on the possible source of the infection, and Bron suspects he genuinely doesn't know. Bron makes it her personal mission to convince Bob to have the test, so he can take advantage of the latest therapies and treatments. However, her job is not an easy one as he has adopted an ostrich approach. Bron learns about Bob's long lost ex-lover and sensing she might be able to shed some light on his illness, tries to track her down. Meanwhile, Luke assists in performing a laparotomy on Margaret Quinell. She has several tumours and the consultant is convinced it is terminal cancer. Luke is ordered to break the news to Margaret, even before the results of the biopsy come through. He's surprised however, when Margaret is philosophical about dying, as it means she can join her late husband. Margaret's estranged son David turns up at the hospital unexpectedly, after having lost touch with his mother. Connor finds himself treading a difficult path as he cares for Margaret and tries to help David reconcile with his mother before she dies. Jared is dismayed and angry to find out that Angie is back in the ward. She fell over following an overdose and has a cut to her head. Dr. Wu tells her that he has contracted Hepatitis B and C. In addition to his normal duties, Jared takes care of Angie. However, he takes things too far when he invites her to stay with him and Connor upon her discharge from hospital.
Jared is worried when a new mother rejects her child and when the baby goes missing, the teenage mother becomes the prime suspect. Seeing her possible future self, Von offers encouragement to a retired nurse who is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. A woman recalls the situation causing her blindness.
A mother delays her son's urgent brain tumour surgery to allow her time to perform a wican healing ritual. The mother's religious beliefs are an afront to Terri who struggles accuses the woman of using her son to make a political statement. A nervous patient's lucky coin goes missing after his operation. Ben wants to start a family but Stephanie isn't receptive to his planning.
Stephanie befriends a drug-dependent intern. A bulimic becomes attracted to Peter.
A high profile lawyer arrives for a coronary by-pass but her irresponsible attitude towards her own health, including her failure to give up smoking, make the surgeons decide to postpone the operation. Terri advocates to get an elderly patient approved for an expensive medication after he was refused a heart transplant due to his age. On the verge of leaving for a vacation with his wife, Peter is called back to the hospital by a patient. While trying to reconnect with his wife, Jenny is critically injured in a car accident. Connor is upset over Bron and Luke's relationship and Jared has a secret admirer.
Connor is horrified to learn that his rugby hero has been admitted to Ward 17 with stab wounds from his girlfriend. Connor is excited after arranging to look after his idol, but his opinion of the man changes drastically after spending time with him and learning what prompted the attack. Peter keeps vigil at his wife's bedside in ICU in hopeful anticipation of her recovery. Two women with contrasting reasons for being in hospital find themselves sharing a room. Jared reconciles with his ex-fiancée Amanda.
Terri has been up all night comforting Peter who cannot accept that his wife is braindead. She also has the difficult task of asking Peter to give consent for Jenny's organs to be donated for transplant purposes. Terri makes Connor the Team Leader for the day and the power goes to his head. Jared spots a suspicious mole as he prepares to discharge a patient. When Connor agrees to let Luke perform a biopsy on the ward, it causes a bed shortage and an elderly patient waiting to be given a bed wanders off.
Terri mourns for Jenny and struggles with the breakdown of her friendship with Peter who has returned to work just one day after Jenny's funeral. A rambunctious godmother of a notorious crime family causes havoc on the ward. With no one to discuss her troubles with, Terri opens up to a charming patient. Luke has concerns for his job when a family secret is exposed. Connor must confront his prejudices as he comforts dying AIDS patient and his distraught partner.
The arrival of two high-dependency patients from the Intensive Care Unit and an incompetent agency nurse increase the stress and workload in Ward 17. Despite his reassurances to Terri, Peter has trouble dealing with Raelene Gregson, a difficult patient who he blames for setting in motion the events leading up to his wife's death. Von feels betrayed when she learns a young woman deceived her about how she contracted her illness. Jared covers for an overworked colleague's mistake but a second error results in him filing an incident report. Bron and Luke's relationship is made public much to their friends' delight.
An unwanted pregnancy results in an abandoned child as Terri and Peter are forced to put a young girl's emotional health at risk in order to save the life of her newborn baby. Angie continues to be a presence in Jared's life and surprises him by landing a job at All Saints as a cleaner on Ward 17 — much to Von's disgust. Stephanie confronts Ben, accusing him of having an affair.
Stephanie supports a pregnant woman's decision to have a cochlear implant against her deaf husband's wishes. Bron resents Stephanie's accusation that she is playing favourites with her patients. Bron denies giving special attention to a handsome patient and refusing to rethink her behaviour even when the patient misreads her actions. A stubborn holocoast survivor battling diabetes helps Jared reconnect with his family.
Luke is put through the wringer when a patient deteriorates before his eyes. Jared learns more harsh truths when he finds Angie working as a prostitute. Terri realises that Peter is nowhere near as settled as he appears in the aftermath of his wife Jenny's death. Realising she's not the person to talk to Peter, Terri asks Sophie for her help. While Von has trouble keeping her patients alive, Stephanie is taken aback by a family celebrating the death of a loved one.
A young woman is in hospital with a serious bacterial infection six weeks after the birth of her first child. She goes into cardiac arrest has a near death experience. Jaz helps three elderly ladies feel worthwhile and Von brings out the devil in an otherwise shy, gentleman patient.
Luke is attracted to a visiting surgical consultant in spite of her barracuda-like reputation. Initially offered a high-profile job at another hospital, Luke's standing with the specialist quickly changes as she denies any responsibility the misdiagnosis of a patient. Jared ignores his instincts and, following the directions of an intern, botches the treatment of a patient resulting in a report being filed against him by the doctor. On his first day with Rapid Response, Ben has a knife pulled on him by a gang member as he tries to attend to the victim of a stabbing. Later in hospital, the man warns Ben that his interference has made him a target for retaliation. A difficult patient gets physical with Stephanie and Jared's birthday surprise doesn't go over well with Terri.
A man is admitted following an attack which has left him badly bruised, slightly concussed and with severed tendons in his hand. When his wife arrives he reacts to her with fear, but she tries to convince Steph that he needs psychiatric help. After talking to both the man and his wife, each of whom accuses the other of being the one in need of his professional help, Dr Morrison must determine who is telling the truth. Gossip is rampant amongst Bron and the other ward staff about the identity of Dr. Norman's mystery lover. Ben is attacked in a park resulting in him being a patient in Accident and Emergency. Suspicions are raised when insulin goes missing from the ward.
Bron has an unpleasant shock when the new head of Cardiothoracic Surgery arrives at All Saints. It is none other than Professor Richard Craig… her father. While Luke enjoys being taken under the renouned doctor's tutelage as he prepares to perform a risky ground-breaking surgery, Bron continually butts heads with the strong-willed Professor, confounding her co-workers who are unaware of their existing relationship. Terri faces echoes from her past when she helps a victim of domestic violence. Von plays mediator between a protective father and his daughter's hospitalised boyfriend.
On his first day back on the job, Ben responds to the scene of an armed robbery where a young police officer has been shot. After surgery, the young man, an old schoolmate of Jaz's, is brought onto the ward where it is discovered that his spinal column is damaged and he may never walk again. A young epileptic who arrives after an automobile accident tests Bron's patience with his bad attitude and self-destructive behaviour. Von helps a woman overcome her embarrassment to relieve her abdominal discomfort. Steph worries that Ben may be showing signs of Post Traumatic Shock Syndrome after his bashing.
While Stephanie tries to adjust to the idea of being pregnant, she is assigned to nurse a dying woman who wants to hold on for the birth of her great-grandchild. Jared goes to bat for a young man with a cricket injury, appealing to Dr O'Hara to re-examine him when his condition takes a drastic turn for the worse. Peter steps in when Sophie's concerns for a patient go unheeded by Prof. Craig. The arrival of two student nurses to the ward adds excitement to the ward.
Terri's faith is tested when her best friend and mentor, Sister Marguerite, undergoes a startling personality change after being admitted to the ward. Professor Craig saves a patient's life with a spectacular but risky emergency procedure. Sophie faces the consequences of trying to seduce Peter and a delightful couple show Jared that many old people have pasts that could curl his hair!
A TV celebrity checks in for a double mastectomy — accompanied by a television crew who will document the whole procedure for a new medical show. Terri seeks to help the woman make what is an important life choice, despite the invasive presence of the media. In the midst of their latest public confrontation, Professor Craig drops a bombshell on the staff of Ward 17 — with dire consequences for her relationships with Luke and Connor. Jared's professionalism is challenged when he is tasked with caring for a homeless man. Bron is surprised by an eccentric patient's preparations for her death. Jared rejects Angie's plea for help.
Richard Craig is all set to perform a ground breaking heart surgery, but when the patient changes his mind, Luke places the blame on Bron. Connor cares for a man of unknown identity only to discover when he emerges from a coma that he is part of a complicated family who are keeping the ward staff busy mediating their strained relationships. Jared organises a party to repair Bron and Connor's friendship, but his idea backfires and the night ends in tragedy.
An English tourist and his wife are admitted after a serious car accident. She is in a coma and he is desperate to see her — in spite of his severe chest injuries, which mean that he cannot be moved. When the woman dies of her injuries, Richard Craig instructs Stephanie not to inform the husband which proves to be a difficult task given her close involvement with him. Terri's faith is tested when a convicted rapist is brought onto the ward. Jared fears he may have contracted HIV while giving First Aid to a Angie. Bron helps Bob to confront his prejudices during a visit to Outpatients while Jaz is courted by a cute young radiologist.
Terri fills in as Assistant Director of Nursing for the day, leaving Steph responsible for Ward 17. Steph is emotionally tested when a young woman is admitted after a botched backstreet abortion. While nursing the young woman who undergoes a hysterectomy, Steph questions the importance of children in her own marriage following the loss of her pregnancy. After turning down Bob Parkin as a surgical candidate, Professor Craig forces Bron into making a huge sacrifice. Von suspects there is more to an elderly man's health than meets the eye and Jared literally saves a patient's life.
Bob Parkin is in for a lung resection and Bron has developed a soft spot for him. She faces crisis upon crises as she hands in her resignation and her dear friend's life-saving operation goes terribly wrong. Connor doubts his ability as a nurse when a deranged patient takes a dislike to him. Von finds anger and compassion when a streetkid takes an unorthodox path to find help. Jared bears the brunt of Amanda's prejudices when she finds out that he could be HIV positive.
A patient's flirtation with Jared becomes serious when she accuses him of rape. A patient's refusal to have an operation finally brings the axe down on Professor Craig. Having convinced Connor and Jared to let her move in with them, Bron then stuns Ward 17 by revealing her resignation. A patient's honesty and optimism gives Steph the strength to tell Ben she may never want children.
When Peter counsels the father of a teenage binge drinker, he is also forced to examine his relationship with his own son. Bron is looking for action on her first day of ambulance duty… and she gets more than she bargained for. Jared tries to convince a husband to overcome his fears and spend more time with his terminally ill wife. Connor hopes for a quiet day on the Ward so he can watch the Grand Final telecast.
Responding to the sudden death of an infant, Bron takes a compassionate approach to the grieving mother while Ben takes out his pent up aggressions from the loss of Steph's baby. The surly teenage daughter of a woman diagnosed with a severe neurological disorder shows a softer side when Terri takes it upon herself to tell the girl about the seriousness of mother's condition. A nudist makes life uncomfortable for the Ward 17 staff and gives Connor reason to believe Von is harbouring a revealing secret. Jaz's absence from work and odd behaviour concerns her co-workers. Bron receives an unexpected windfall from a departed friend.
No one is surprised when a woman is re-admitted to the ward after being injured in a domestic dispute with her husband. Ben pushes himself to the limit when he and Bron try to rescue a woman trapped in a twisted car wreck. Connor learns a lesson in prejudice when he looks after a schizophrenic patient. Jaz tries to come to terms with the fact she was date-raped by Danny.
Jaz is still trying to come to terms with her date rape and has a tense moment with Jared after she makes a mistake on the ward. It falls to Terri to tell the staff what happened and Ward 17 reels from the consequences when they learn about Jaz's ordeal. Peter helps Jaz begin to cope with the trauma she has been through while Bron shows her a direct way of dealing with the situation and Connor decides to get revenge on Jaz's behalf. Von is ashamed to realise her prejudices towards an overweight patient while Ben and Bron discover their elderly patient isn't at all what she appears to be.
The husband of an old friend of Steph's is admitted with an inoperable brain tumour. His wife is barely coping with the strain and it seems a blessing when he slips into a coma. Steph soon faces a moral dilemma when she suspects her friend of performing euthanasia on her dying husband. Bron returns to the Ward for a shift as an agency nurse and her exciting stories as an ambo soon wear thin with the others. Jaz finds an unexpected ally in her struggle to see Danny brought to justice. Peter is troubled by thoughts of who received his late wife's organs.
Terri is forced to nurse reluctant patient Bryan Taylor, a man who has been told that he will develop Huntingdon's Disease and who is determined to commit suicide. He is admitted to Ward 17 having overdosed on a slow-acting drug and has legal papers to say he is not to be resuscitated. Knowing there is still a chance to counteract the drug, Terri hopes to understand the man's motivations and hopefully convince him to change his mind. Bron and Ben form a close bond after becoming caught in a siege at a drug lab. Connor and Jared clash over the conflicting needs of two patients.
Steph's life is on the line when she and two patients contract a rare disease. Luke is forced to question his abilities as a doctor when faced with an ungrateful patient. After getting trapped in a collapsed building, Ben shocks Bron by declaring he's falling in love with her. Von and Dr. Samantha O'Hara help an elderly doctor realise it's time to retire gracefully.
Tension and panic runs high when Ben and Bron are called to save a little girl who has fallen down a storm water drain. With a rush of water about to engulf the drain, Ben feels the pressure of his job take hold. Terri reveals another side to her nature when a demanding patient pushes her too far. Jared and Samantha's attraction grows. Connor is shocked when a humorous bet with Jared turns sour.
The 1998 season finale is packed with emotion when Ward 17 celebrates Christmas. A sick child hopes that her Christmas wish will come true; an elderly man asks Santa for a special gift for his ailing wife; Von learns the true meaning of Christmas; a homeless man goes to great lengths to stay in All Saints for Christmas dinner and Bron is in for a surprise at the Ward 17 Christmas party. Sophie is faced with the possibility of losing custody of her children to her father-in-law. Connor has decided it is finally time to tell Bron how he feels while Jared and Jaz receive test results.
