MDA

Ella Davis' long time friend Olga Stiles, an obstetrician, is facing charges in the Supreme Court for contributing to the massive brain injuries of a young woman, Kim Cusack, following complications with her Caesarean delivery. Opposing counsel Richard Savage employs a dramatic, emotive tactic to win the hearts of the jury, forcing Ella and Happy to call an adjournment to rethink their options. Meantime, Caitlin cuts her teeth on a case of surgery politics involving two doctors at each other's throats. The resolution for this one will need some truly lateral thinking. Jamie enlists Caitlin's help in some hands-on sleuth work to discover the truth about a woman's claim of sexual misconduct. As they prepare to enter final negotiations on the Cusack case, Richard confronts Ella with information that forces her to draw on all her resources to balance her own emotions with the tragedy suffered by a young couple.

Ella must get to the bottom of a tragic case in which an elderly man dies inexplicably, while the young doctor on duty insists he can't be held responsible for the death. Caitlin gets her day in court, when she refuses to be intimidated by a violent ex-crim, who wants to be compensated because his doctor didn't keep his tonsils for him after they were removed. A psychiatrist performs surgery on a young ballerina with disastrous consequences and turns to MDA for help. Happy must convince the president of MDA to extend indemnity to the doctor. Nick, Ella's partner, is offered a lucrative research position in Philadelphia and tries to use it to lure Ella back to him. Hoping to heal some of the damage done by his affair, Nick promises Ella greater commitment to their relationship.

When a GP is caught having sex with a beautiful blonde patient in his surgery, Ella must make a decision about whether MDA should fight to save his practice. He claims it was a one-off but his devastated wife is sure he's been having an affair. As Ella battles to keep her own emotions out of the case, Nick surprises her with his decision about the job offer in Philadelphia in an emotional showdown at the MDA office. Meanwhile Happy and Jamie attempt to out-manoeuvre Richard in the case of a vain but popular gym complex owner whose cosmetic surgery resulted in some unusual complications. And Caitlin unravels the mystery of a woman who claims her doctor gave her unwanted tattoos.

A young mum is suing her doctor after losing the sight in her good eye following surgery on the other. Is the surgeon to blame for not warning her of the one in 14,000 chance of sympathetic blindness - an effect with no known cause? Both Ella and Richard compete to enlist the famous maverick surgeon, Jock McGeoghan to their side, unaware that the presiding judge has a few surprises of her own. Jamie takes up the challenge when an attractive psychiatrist is accused of providing financial advice to a delusional, schizophrenic patient. Caitlin is drawn towards Richard's distinctive professional style, and Happy must face a personal health crisis.

Deanna Raye, a very recent gender reassignment patient is rushed into Dr Ella Davis' hospital Emergency Department after a suicide attempt. Now Ella finds herself in a conflict of interest. Deanna claims that she was an inappropriate candidate for her procedure and is suing her surgeon, the apparently arrogant Mr Vince Phillips. Dr Jamie Lawless and Caitlin King take on the case, once again locked in conflict with Richard Savage. Happy Henderson and Ella, meanwhile, represent Dr Michael Forsythe, a country doctor being sued by a man he had thought of as an old mate for a post-operative hernia. Or is the old mate just trying to pay for his new fence - and ruining Dr Forsythe's reputation into the bargain?

Smooth, plausible psychiatrist Dr Oliver Maudsen is up before the Medical Practitioners Board on a charge of sexual misconduct. When a second victim comes forward, Ella clashes with Happy as she wrestles with the conflict between her duty to represent an MDA client and her personal morality. Richard Savage represents Tina Morello, who claims negligence for an ""unnecessary"" hysterectomy, but then refuses to settle - until Caitlin sees the reason why. And at the hospital's Accident & Emergency, cultural and procedural issues arise for Ella when some family members needing non-emergency medical attention visit intern Tony McKinnon.