Holby City star Rosie Marcel praises NHS after being rushed to hospital

Rosie Marcel plays Jac Naylor, who sits on her hospital bed before she's brought into theatre.
Rosie Marcel played Jac Naylor, who died in the final episode of Holby City. (Image credit: BBC)

Holby City star Rosie Marcel has thanked the NHS in an Instagram post, after revealing she had to be taken into the emergency room and required surgery the following day.

Rosie, who played Jac Naylor in Holby City between 2005 and 2022, told fans that she was treated quickly and well looked after and that she was able to go home and rest up.

In an Instagram update, Rosie wrote: "Ended up at the old emergency room the other night. Stoke Mandeville is my new local ish hospital and they were brilliant. Ambulance crew were amazing too. 

"Had surgery the next day and home soon after that. Very very grateful to the NHS for looking after me and treating me quickly. #fentanyl #morphine all the good stuff!!! #nhs"

Following her update, she received plenty of support from fans with one joking: "I imagine you were a better patient than the last time we saw you in hospital" and another adding: "Hope you get well soon. I bet you get some funny reactions when they see Jac Naylor rock up".

The character of Jac has gone on to become a fan favourite over the years, and she was at the heart of the big Holby City finale which left fans heartbroken, as the surgeon passed away as a result of her brain tumour.

Fans didn't want Jac to die, but her death seemed poignant as she was able to donate her organs to those in need and continue to help people which she'd been passionate about doing throughout her career.

Jac's death paid tribute to the NHS too, with her voiceover in the finale saying: "This is what the NHS means to us. It's not a badge, it's not a number down the side of a bus. It's a nurse missing her break to sit with a lonely patient. It's a surgeon grinding out a 15-hour op. 

"The sound of sirens coming to the rescue, Thursday-night applause floating across the rooftops. It's all of us doing the best we can in impossible circumstances."

Holby City came to an end earlier this year after 23 years, despite petitions from fans, as the BBC cited "new opportunities" as a reason for cancelling the long-running medical drama.

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.


She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress