Holby City (series 12) CEO of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Hospital Trust, wrote a column criticizing "Holby City" and "Casualty" for misrepresenting real hospital life. Based on Sumara's critisim, Carol Cooper of "The Sun" wrote an article assessing an episode of the show for its medical portrayal, and found that while Elliot Hope and Oliver Valentine demonstrated "excellent" bedside manner, several medical examinations and procedures were carried out incorrectly, including staff members failing to call a pediatrician before performing an emergency Caesarean. Sophie Borland of the "Daily Mail" highlighted the crossover storyline with "Casualty" as an example of "Holby City" lack of realism,
William Harvey Hospital Ashford, criticised proposals that some services would require patients to be bussed back to the old hospital when William Harvey Hospital opened. In 2000, the press reported that staff shortages at the hospital were putting patient's lives at risk, which drew local MP Damian Green to criticise the management of the NHS in parliament. Green continued to complain about the state of the hospital, noting in 2001 that patients had been waiting in the accident and emergency department for 24 hours. In 2013, hospital staff members threatened to quit due to proposed increases in parking permit charges from March 2014.