Vanessa Lytton (Leslie Ash) – Holby City's brand new CEO - arrives at the hospital, and is sure to ruffle feathers. First impressions don’t go well for Connie when she mistakes her new boss for a temp, but Vanessa seems to warm to the hotshot surgeon when she witnesses her fast-thinking in an emergency situation. A former nurse, Vanessa proves she’s more than just a business mind and is keen to take an interest in the medical side of her role. Though Vanessa seems to have charmed the staff of the hospital, it's only at the end of the day when she makes a surprise phone call to Michael Spence that she shows her true colours. Confirming to Michael, who we realise is her old friend, that Connie is after his job, it's clear that Vanessa's got the measure of her staff… Meanwhile, Maria finds life after her operation a struggle. Though results show that she should be able to walk again, her physiotherapy sessions seem fruitless. Only after the death of Sunita, her new best friend, does she find the strength to move her legs. Elsewhere, Mark is determined to matchmake Chrissie, and tries to match her up with a patient's brother in law, who turns out to be gay.
