Holby City has been axed after nearly 23 years on air. 

The hit medical drama will come to an end next March, the BBC has announced. 

The broadcaster said it has decided to bring Holby to a close “to make room for new opportunities” that “better reflect, represent and serve all parts of the country”. 

A BBC statement read: “We are incredibly proud of Holby City but it’s with great sadness that we are announcing that after 23 years, the show will end on screen in March of next year. 

“We sometimes have to make difficult decisions to make room for new opportunities 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.  

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the amazing team at BBC Studios and all the cast and crew who have been involved in the show since 1999.”

The spokesperson continued: “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.”

A tweet posted on the show’s official Twitter account promised that the show will “get the send off it deserves”. 

“Holby will remain on air on Tuesdays until next March, and we will continue to bring you a regular dose of all things Holby right here until then,” the tweet read. 

“We promise that Holby will get the send-off it deserves. Thank you for your continued support and love for the series.”

Holby City launched on BBC One in January 1999 as a spin-off from its other hit medical drama Casualty. 

While the two shows were long filmed in different cities, they are set in the same hospital with many characters appearing across both series. 

A number of full-blown crossover episodes have also been produced over the years. 

Among the stars who have appeared in Holby since its launch include Angela Griffin, Lisa Faulkner, Ade Edmondson, Laila Rouass and Patsy Kensit.

Its current cast includes actors Jaye Jacobs, David Ames, Dawn Steele and Debra Stephenson.