Dr Ellingham raises the ire of seemingly the entire village when he sacks Elaine, who is taking out her own frustrations on her father and his fiancée. Meanwhile, Martin diagnoses former teacher Roger Fenn with a possible larynx cancer.

Dr Martin Ellingham's practice is officially open for business. Despite his disastrous introduction to life in the village of Portwenn, the former surgeon has decided to stay and give it a go. The waiting room is full of patients having tea and biscuits served by Elaine, who is busy with a personal call on the phone.

It seems that the previous GP allowed his patients to treat the surgery as a drop-in cafe, but not necessarily to seek medical treatment. Martin announces to the packed waiting room that unless they have a genuine ailment they should all leave.

Stunned, everyone shuffles out. On his way out, sour-faced former teacher Roger Fenn offers Ellingham his own words of advice, and, alarmed by the hoarse sound of Roger's voice, Martin conducts an examination. Martin tells Fenn he must be referred to a specialist for a biopsy on a neck lump, but Fenn accuses the doctor of time-wasting and storms out.

Meanwhile, Elaine has failed to gain identifying details for a hysterical mother on the phone with a sick child. As Ellingham attempts to track down the youngster, whose symptoms suggest possibly fatal appendicitis, he gives Elaine the sack for her latest bout of incompetence - but with her connections throughout the village, she'll make sure he regrets it.

Elaine's problems don't stop at her new-found unemployment though. Her widower father is due to be married in less than a fortnight and she doesn't care for his fiancée in the slightest.

Louisa is outraged with Martin's apparent failure to visit Roger in hospital. Little does she know that he and the Doc have struck up a friendship on their shared curmudgeonliness.