Ric's life hangs in the balance in new Holby City autumn trailer

The three-minute clip previews the new season's storyline for the hit BBC medical drama including a possible dementia battle for distressed doctor Ric – will the results from a scan confirm he has the degenerative disease?

Another moment shows Ric confronting deceased Diane Lloyd (Patricia Potter) in what is surely a dream sequence, given that the character was killed off in 2007.

We also get a glimpse of another returning audience favourite, Elliot Hope (Paul Bradley), but all is not well with the avuncular ex-head surgeon as the real reasons for his visit become tragically clear.

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Jittery Jac Naylor is thrilled to see close pal Elliot, but she's got more on her plate as the traumatic events of the last few months take their toll and she appears to be on the verge of a total meltdown. Can anyone help her?

Elsewhere, evil Evan ups the ante in his attempt to scare poor old Chloe, who barricades herself in her home to keep away from him, Cameron tries to keep calm when he receives a visit from the cops, and Lofty makes a big discovery.

Holby celebrates it's 20th anniversary in 2019 and has already given loyal viewers a number of treats to mark the milestone, including a crossover with sister show Casualty, the return of Patsy Kensit as Faye Morton and Luke Roberts as Joseph Byrne.

Judging by this trailer, the excitement is only just beginning…