As the curtains draw open on the premiere episode of "Malpractice," Dr. Lucinda Edwards, portrayed by Niamh Algar, meticulously prepares herself for the day ahead. She narrates to her colleagues about an upcoming procedure, her voice steady yet charged with anticipation. Dr. Ramya Morgan, played by Priyanka Patel, volunteers eagerly to assist, but Lucinda, with a glance that speaks volumes, declines her offer for the time being, instructing her instead to gather the necessary equipment and meet her at the site. Dr. Oscar Beattie, amusingly played by Scott Chambers, interjects with a quip aimed at Ramya, lightening the tense atmosphere momentarily.
Once the procedure is successfully concluded, Lucinda meticulously debriefs Ramya, dissecting every detail. Ramya, noticing a bottle of vodka in the patient's possession, expresses bewilderment at their efforts to heal someone who clearly doesn't value his own well-being. Lucinda, her tone firm yet compassionate, reminds Ramya that their duty transcends judgment; they are healers, bound by a sacred oath.
In the midst of managing a flurry of phone calls, Lucinda receives a call from Rose, her voice tinged with frustration as she declares her inability to assist yet again. Ramya's entrance interrupts the conversation, prompting Lucinda to gently inform her mother that she cannot intervene in this particular situation. Post-call, Ramya inquires about Dr. Harrow's whereabouts, to which Lucinda responds with a sigh, just missing him as he dashed off to pick up his child. Her phone buzzes incessantly, and soon, she dismisses Oscar for the day, urging him to rest well ahead of his early shift the following morning.
Stepping outside for a cigarette, Lucinda finds solace in the cool night air, her thoughts interrupted by a text from Rose, expressing gratitude. The tranquil moment is shattered when a new patient, discovered unconscious at home, is rushed in, suspected of an opioid overdose. Lucinda springs into action, her focus laser-sharp as she attends to Edith. The blaring alarm signals an urgent evacuation, yet Lucinda hesitates, torn between her duty to the patient and the impending danger.
In the lobby, Lucinda is instructed to await the police, but her attention is jarringly drawn to a man brandishing a gun, his voice a mix of desperation and anger as he demands Lucinda's help for his bleeding friend on the floor. The man's threats hang in the air, causing Lucinda to momentarily disassociate. The chaos ensues as others rush to the aid of the wounded man, realizing the dire lack of available beds. Lucinda is briefed that Ramya can manage Edith, now stable, while she attends to the gunshot victim.
Lucinda meticulously documents Edith's case, noting it as a deliberate overdose, and guides Ramya through the process, who is treating an opioid overdose for the first time. With a sense of urgency, she dashes back to the gunshot victim, calling Leo, her voice urgent, pleading him to answer as their assistance is desperately needed. Matron Beth Ralph, portrayed by Hannah Walters, steps in to assist Lucinda, while Ramya continues her work with the overdose patient.
As other doctors relieve Lucinda, she briefly inquires about Ramya's progress, only to be reminded by Ramya of her eagerness to learn and improve. Lucinda's heart races as she learns that the patient has gone into cardiac arrest. Ramya admits she only administered one dose, contrary to Lucinda's instructions to repeat if stabilization wasn't achieved. Leo finally arrives, but it's too late; the patient succumbs to their injuries. Lucinda, her voice breaking, blames Ramya for the tragic outcome.
Later, in the sanctuary of her home, Tom, played by Lorne MacFadyen, offers soothing words, reassuring Lucinda that she bore no fault in the heart-wrenching sequence of events.
He claims that she was the one who saved that boy’s life, yet Lucinda insists that Edith’s death was unnecessary. Tom believes that once they uncover her actions, they will hail her as a hero. Upon Lucinda’s arrival at the hospital, she bumps into Dr. George Adjei (Jordan Kouame), an investigator now working there. Assigned to Lucinda's case, George reassuringly believes everything will be alright. Dr. Norma Callahan (Helen Behan), who heads the West Yorkshire Medical Investigation Unit, thanks Lucinda for coming and fills her in. Kathy Miller (Adei Bundy) hands her a form to sign, granting them access to her personnel records. They explain that Edith’s father has lodged a complaint regarding her treatment, noting that they receive such complaints annually and are obligated to investigate each one thoroughly.
Lucinda recounts the events of that fateful night, detailing how the gunman entered with the boy. She notes that Edith was stable when she left to attend to the reception. However, upon returning, they faced a predicament: the gunshot victim needed a bed, and Edith had occupied the last one. Lucinda made the tough call to move Edith. Witnesses attest that she struggled with the decision, and during this time, Edith’s condition deteriorated. Lucinda disputes this perception. Dr. Morgan claims she attempted to alert Lucinda to Edith’s worsening condition, but Lucinda was preoccupied with paperwork and doesn’t recall such an instance. Norma wonders if there was a missed chance to administer another dose of Naloxone to Edith during this delay.
Lucinda argues that they’re talking about mere seconds. Norma then inquires why she didn’t seek help from Dr. Harris, the consultant on duty. Lucinda concedes that Dr. Harris had left half an hour early to pick up his son, but brushes it off as part of their mutual support system. She promptly calls Dr. Harris, who returned as soon as he could. The inquiry then turns to someone altering the presenting complaint from accidental to deliberate overdose. Lucinda confesses it was her, citing Edith’s history of addiction, depression, and a previous suicide attempt. By classifying the overdose as deliberate, Lucinda ensured Edith would undergo a psychiatric review before discharge.
Lucinda elaborates on her instructions to Dr. Morgan: to administer 800 micrograms of Naloxone to Edith and stay with her, ready to repeat the dose if her breathing rate dropped. However, Dr. Morgan contradicts this, stating she was told to give just one dose and inform Lucinda when Edith’s breathing improved. Lucinda justifies not writing this in the notes due to the pressing nature of the situation. She is then questioned about preventing Dr. Morgan from inserting a drain, which she admits. Lucinda explains her rationale, asserting that despite Dr. Morgan’s lack of experience with opioid overdoses, her instructions were crystal clear.
Dr. Norma Callahan expressed her astonishment at Dr. Morgan's impatience, questioning whether the latter had fully grasped the instructions or if the guidelines themselves lacked clarity. Norma insisted that they delve deeper into the events of that fateful night. Dr. George Adjei reassured her, outlining their plan to scrutinize every detail and determine whether a comprehensive fitness-to-practice investigation was warranted. They promised to inform her in writing by the week's end.
After their departure, Norma and George sat down to dissect Lucinda's conduct that evening. Despite his personal connection to Lucinda, George assured Norma of his impartiality. Meanwhile, at home, Lucinda exchanged texts with an anonymous individual eager for a conversation, amidst her daughter's bath-time tantrums. Frustrated with her daughter Gabby, Lucinda called out for Tom to take over, popping a pill in a desperate bid to calm her frayed nerves.
The next morning, Lucinda received a text from Rose, signaling the need for an urgent discussion. Elsewhere, Dr. Morgan lamented to Oscar about the indelible stain Edith's death would leave on her career, believing her punishment was too lenient. Ramya pondered whether she should have mentioned Lucinda's assault against her in her statement, feeling Lucinda deserved to face the consequences. Oscar discouraged her from doing so, reminding her of her duty to care for the patient. Lucinda's abrupt interruption to assign Ramya a task she reluctantly opposed further complicated matters. Despite her misgivings about inserting a needle into a 12-year-old's spine, Ramya eventually capitulated.
Dr. Harris and Dr. Willett discussed the potential necessity of scapegoating someone, with Leo keen to ensure Lucinda wasn't targeted unfairly. Norma and George's arrival prompted Leo to excuse himself, revealing his early departure on the night of Edith Owusu's demise was due to fetching his son from a rugby match. Lucinda guided Ramya through the procedure, which afterward prompted Ramya to vent about being coerced into something she was uncomfortable with.
Interrupting them, Dr. Willett, accompanied by George Adjei and Norma Callahan, confirmed their decision to launch a formal investigation into Lucinda's fitness to practice. George would observe her in A&E and across the department. As George began shadowing Lucinda, he confided in her about the challenges of maintaining a work-life balance. Lucinda, curious, inquired about rumors of George having killed a patient, prompting him to question how she knew of such tales. She reassured him that they all faced trials but didn't abandon their profession.
Collaborating with Oscar Beattie later, Lucinda commended his competence, urging him to exude more confidence. George sought Oscar's insights on Ramya's relationship with Lucinda, to which Oscar suggested speaking with Ramya directly. When George mentioned Lucinda's pandemic-induced leave, Oscar brushed it off, reminding him that everyone needed a break at some point.
George delves into the mystery surrounding Lucinda's extensive time off during the pandemic, yet his inquiries yield no satisfactory answers. Lucinda, determined to clarify the situation, texts Rose and arranges a meeting with Rob. She believes they must come clean, but Rob disputes this, advocating for patience until the storm passes. Lucinda insists that Rob confess to prescribing Edith an extra dose of methadone, fearing her medical license could be revoked if the Medical Incident Unit (MIU) delves deeper and uncovers the other overdose incidents. Rob, worried that scrutiny of his prescribing habits could exacerbate the situation, pleads with Lucinda to remain silent, reminding her that he prescribed the pills to keep Edith functional.
Elsewhere, Norma engages George in a conversation about venturing into the dating app world, and their discussion drifts to George's encounter with Lucinda. He mentions Lucinda's heavily redacted sick leave records during the COVID crisis and recounts catching Oscar altering a prescription Lucinda had authored. Norma emphasizes that such an error at Oscar's level is unacceptable, potentially leading to dire consequences. She urges George to consult Dr. Morgan for her perspective on the matter the following day.
The next day, George shares with Norma and Kathy that Lucinda has never given erroneous instructions in handling opioid overdoses. He recounts the events of the night in question, based on Dr. Morgan's account. Dr. Morgan reveals that Oscar often stays late when Lucinda is on shift but was sent home before 9 PM that evening, well before Lucinda mentioned the overdose case. George returns to Norma and Kathy with newfound insight, pondering how Lucinda could have foreseen the overdose before the official 999 call. Norma suggests that Ramya might be mistaken, as Lucinda couldn't have known about the overdose before the emergency call was made. George corrects her, revealing there was a prior call from an anonymous male reporting Edith's overdose, and Lucinda received another call from the same number at 8:32 PM. Lucinda informed Ramya of the overdose, even though A&E didn't learn of it until 9:07 PM. This prompts them to question whether Lucinda and Edith had a prior connection. Norma decides to bring Lucinda in for another interview the following day.
The morning arrives, and Lucinda calls Rob, resolved to confess the truth. Tom notices a call from Rose ringing on her phone. Lucinda snatches it, scheduling another meeting with Rob (Douglas Hansell), and proceeds to consume more pills. Without bidding Tom farewell, Lucinda hurriedly departs. When Rob meets her, he reproaches her for breaking their silence. Lucinda, citing the investigation into her phone records, insists she cannot remain quiet. Rob assures her he can rectify the situation but needs time. He urges her to pretend illness as a decoy. In a moment of desperation, he threatens to expose her as an addict, but before he can finish, he is struck by a car. Lucinda, horrified, flees the scene.
