Holby City (series 1) NHS." His only concern about the series was its continuation of patient storylines from "Casualty", writing: "if that happens too often, the new programme will soon lose its freshness and sparkle." "The Mirror" Charlie Catchpole wrote that he was "sick of the sensitive, hand–wringing, non–judgmental do–gooders who mope around the A&E department in "Casualty"", praising in comparison the "pushy, ambitious, cynical and generally thoroughly unpleasant surgeons" in "Holby City". Sam Wollaston of "The Guardian" received the series positively, writing: ""Holby City" has everything you want from a hospital drama: good–looking staff, a bit of love interest, a dishy doc, the
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.