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
Holby City miracles and fuelling compensation culture. Accident and Emergency nurse John Hill stated: "In A&E it is sometimes a fact that sadly we cannot get people through the trauma they have received. Unfortunately, unlike in "Holby City", I am a mere mortal and cannot perform miracles. But many relatives believe because of that, you can. And the injury lawyers assure them that if you don't they will get recompense for it." In October 2000, Dr John Ryan, an Accident & Emergency consultant at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton criticised the number of patients visiting the department for minor ailments