The 1998 season finale is packed with emotion when Ward 17 celebrates Christmas. A sick child hopes that her Christmas wish will come true; an elderly man asks Santa for a special gift for his ailing wife; Von learns the true meaning of Christmas; a homeless man goes to great lengths to stay in All Saints for Christmas dinner and Bron is in for a surprise at the Ward 17 Christmas party. Sophie is faced with the possibility of losing custody of her children to her father-in-law. Connor has decided it is finally time to tell Bron how he feels while Jared and Jaz receive test results.

Richard Craig is all set to perform a ground breaking heart surgery, but when the patient changes his mind, Luke places the blame on Bron. Connor cares for a man of unknown identity only to discover when he emerges from a coma that he is part of a complicated family who are keeping the ward staff busy mediating their strained relationships. Jared organises a party to repair Bron and Connor's friendship, but his idea backfires and the night ends in tragedy.

Jaz is still trying to come to terms with her date rape and has a tense moment with Jared after she makes a mistake on the ward. It falls to Terri to tell the staff what happened and Ward 17 reels from the consequences when they learn about Jaz's ordeal. Peter helps Jaz begin to cope with the trauma she has been through while Bron shows her a direct way of dealing with the situation and Connor decides to get revenge on Jaz's behalf. Von is ashamed to realise her prejudices towards an overweight patient while Ben and Bron discover their elderly patient isn't at all what she appears to be.

Tension and panic runs high when Ben and Bron are called to save a little girl who has fallen down a storm water drain. With a rush of water about to engulf the drain, Ben feels the pressure of his job take hold. Terri reveals another side to her nature when a demanding patient pushes her too far. Jared and Samantha's attraction grows. Connor is shocked when a humorous bet with Jared turns sour.

A mother delays her son's urgent brain tumour surgery to allow her time to perform a wican healing ritual. The mother's religious beliefs are an afront to Terri who struggles accuses the woman of using her son to make a political statement. A nervous patient's lucky coin goes missing after his operation. Ben wants to start a family but Stephanie isn't receptive to his planning.

Terri has been up all night comforting Peter who cannot accept that his wife is braindead. She also has the difficult task of asking Peter to give consent for Jenny's organs to be donated for transplant purposes. Terri makes Connor the Team Leader for the day and the power goes to his head. Jared spots a suspicious mole as he prepares to discharge a patient. When Connor agrees to let Luke perform a biopsy on the ward, it causes a bed shortage and an elderly patient waiting to be given a bed wanders off.

While Stephanie tries to adjust to the idea of being pregnant, she is assigned to nurse a dying woman who wants to hold on for the birth of her great-grandchild. Jared goes to bat for a young man with a cricket injury, appealing to Dr O'Hara to re-examine him when his condition takes a drastic turn for the worse. Peter steps in when Sophie's concerns for a patient go unheeded by Prof. Craig. The arrival of two student nurses to the ward adds excitement to the ward.

Responding to the sudden death of an infant, Bron takes a compassionate approach to the grieving mother while Ben takes out his pent up aggressions from the loss of Steph's baby. The surly teenage daughter of a woman diagnosed with a severe neurological disorder shows a softer side when Terri takes it upon herself to tell the girl about the seriousness of mother's condition. A nudist makes life uncomfortable for the Ward 17 staff and gives Connor reason to believe Von is harbouring a revealing secret. Jaz's absence from work and odd behaviour concerns her co-workers. Bron receives an unexpected windfall from a departed friend.

A high profile lawyer arrives for a coronary by-pass but her irresponsible attitude towards her own health, including her failure to give up smoking, make the surgeons decide to postpone the operation. Terri advocates to get an elderly patient approved for an expensive medication after he was refused a heart transplant due to his age. On the verge of leaving for a vacation with his wife, Peter is called back to the hospital by a patient. While trying to reconnect with his wife, Jenny is critically injured in a car accident. Connor is upset over Bron and Luke's relationship and Jared has a secret admirer.

A young woman is in hospital with a serious bacterial infection six weeks after the birth of her first child. She goes into cardiac arrest has a near death experience. Jaz helps three elderly ladies feel worthwhile and Von brings out the devil in an otherwise shy, gentleman patient.

A patient's flirtation with Jared becomes serious when she accuses him of rape. A patient's refusal to have an operation finally brings the axe down on Professor Craig. Having convinced Connor and Jared to let her move in with them, Bron then stuns Ward 17 by revealing her resignation. A patient's honesty and optimism gives Steph the strength to tell Ben she may never want children.

No one is surprised when a woman is re-admitted to the ward after being injured in a domestic dispute with her husband. Ben pushes himself to the limit when he and Bron try to rescue a woman trapped in a twisted car wreck. Connor learns a lesson in prejudice when he looks after a schizophrenic patient. Jaz tries to come to terms with the fact she was date-raped by Danny.

Terri mourns for Jenny and struggles with the breakdown of her friendship with Peter who has returned to work just one day after Jenny's funeral. A rambunctious godmother of a notorious crime family causes havoc on the ward. With no one to discuss her troubles with, Terri opens up to a charming patient. Luke has concerns for his job when a family secret is exposed. Connor must confront his prejudices as he comforts dying AIDS patient and his distraught partner.

The arrival of two high-dependency patients from the Intensive Care Unit and an incompetent agency nurse increase the stress and workload in Ward 17. Despite his reassurances to Terri, Peter has trouble dealing with Raelene Gregson, a difficult patient who he blames for setting in motion the events leading up to his wife's death. Von feels betrayed when she learns a young woman deceived her about how she contracted her illness. Jared covers for an overworked colleague's mistake but a second error results in him filing an incident report. Bron and Luke's relationship is made public much to their friends' delight.

On his first day back on the job, Ben responds to the scene of an armed robbery where a young police officer has been shot. After surgery, the young man, an old schoolmate of Jaz's, is brought onto the ward where it is discovered that his spinal column is damaged and he may never walk again. A young epileptic who arrives after an automobile accident tests Bron's patience with his bad attitude and self-destructive behaviour. Von helps a woman overcome her embarrassment to relieve her abdominal discomfort. Steph worries that Ben may be showing signs of Post Traumatic Shock Syndrome after his bashing.

Terri's faith is tested when her best friend and mentor, Sister Marguerite, undergoes a startling personality change after being admitted to the ward. Professor Craig saves a patient's life with a spectacular but risky emergency procedure. Sophie faces the consequences of trying to seduce Peter and a delightful couple show Jared that many old people have pasts that could curl his hair!

Bob Parkin is in for a lung resection and Bron has developed a soft spot for him. She faces crisis upon crises as she hands in her resignation and her dear friend's life-saving operation goes terribly wrong. Connor doubts his ability as a nurse when a deranged patient takes a dislike to him. Von finds anger and compassion when a streetkid takes an unorthodox path to find help. Jared bears the brunt of Amanda's prejudices when she finds out that he could be HIV positive.

An unwanted pregnancy results in an abandoned child as Terri and Peter are forced to put a young girl's emotional health at risk in order to save the life of her newborn baby. Angie continues to be a presence in Jared's life and surprises him by landing a job at All Saints as a cleaner on Ward 17 — much to Von's disgust. Stephanie confronts Ben, accusing him of having an affair.

Luke is put through the wringer when a patient deteriorates before his eyes. Jared learns more harsh truths when he finds Angie working as a prostitute. Terri realises that Peter is nowhere near as settled as he appears in the aftermath of his wife Jenny's death. Realising she's not the person to talk to Peter, Terri asks Sophie for her help. While Von has trouble keeping her patients alive, Stephanie is taken aback by a family celebrating the death of a loved one.

A TV celebrity checks in for a double mastectomy — accompanied by a television crew who will document the whole procedure for a new medical show. Terri seeks to help the woman make what is an important life choice, despite the invasive presence of the media. In the midst of their latest public confrontation, Professor Craig drops a bombshell on the staff of Ward 17 — with dire consequences for her relationships with Luke and Connor. Jared's professionalism is challenged when he is tasked with caring for a homeless man. Bron is surprised by an eccentric patient's preparations for her death. Jared rejects Angie's plea for help.

Terri fills in as Assistant Director of Nursing for the day, leaving Steph responsible for Ward 17. Steph is emotionally tested when a young woman is admitted after a botched backstreet abortion. While nursing the young woman who undergoes a hysterectomy, Steph questions the importance of children in her own marriage following the loss of her pregnancy. After turning down Bob Parkin as a surgical candidate, Professor Craig forces Bron into making a huge sacrifice. Von suspects there is more to an elderly man's health than meets the eye and Jared literally saves a patient's life.

Sophie ties to help a young West African woman who is torn between upholding traditions and concern for her health. An old friend from Von's past refuses treatment and causes difficult memories from their time in Vietnam to resurface. A young woman's illness confounds the doctors while Stephanie questions Luke's commitment to helping his patient.

Luke is attracted to a visiting surgical consultant in spite of her barracuda-like reputation. Initially offered a high-profile job at another hospital, Luke's standing with the specialist quickly changes as she denies any responsibility the misdiagnosis of a patient. Jared ignores his instincts and, following the directions of an intern, botches the treatment of a patient resulting in a report being filed against him by the doctor. On his first day with Rapid Response, Ben has a knife pulled on him by a gang member as he tries to attend to the victim of a stabbing. Later in hospital, the man warns Ben that his interference has made him a target for retaliation. A difficult patient gets physical with Stephanie and Jared's birthday surprise doesn't go over well with Terri.

Steph's life is on the line when she and two patients contract a rare disease. Luke is forced to question his abilities as a doctor when faced with an ungrateful patient. After getting trapped in a collapsed building, Ben shocks Bron by declaring he's falling in love with her. Von and Dr. Samantha O'Hara help an elderly doctor realise it's time to retire gracefully.

Georgie Parker stars as Terri Sullivan, the Nursing Unit Manager at All Saints Western General Hospital. She manages the general medical ward, affectionately known as the "Garbage Ward" because it takes the overflow of patients from all the other wards. Terri cares for a terminal cancer patient and reminds the elderly woman she can refuse treatment but her doctor, Harry Williams, has no intention of withdrawing treatment and accuses Terri of advocating euthanasia. The nursing staff clash with an incompetent medical intern who walks off the ward in the middle of a procedure. Connor thinks a patient is going through alcoholic withdrawal, Von gives Jared lessons on nursing, and Ward 17 plays host to a nervous bikie's wedding.