The Casualty spin-off medical drama has aired weekly since 1999, following the lives of the fictional Holby City Hospital staff.

"We sometimes have to make difficult decisions to make room for new opportunities,” said the BBC in a statement, “and as part of the BBC's commitment to make more programmes across the UK, we have taken the difficult decision to bring the show to a close in order to reshape the BBC's drama slate to better reflect, represent and serve all parts of the country.”

“Holby has been a stalwart with audiences, delighting millions of viewers each week and winning hundreds of awards with a compelling mix of cutting edge medical stories and explosive personal stories.”

"We look forward to working with the team over the coming months to ensure that when it ends, Holby goes out on a high."

Holby City will continue to air on BBC One on Tuesdays until March 2022.