When Professor Loftus goes on holiday, his replacement is Dick's uncle, Jeremy De Quincy, who is easy-going and initially seen as a breath of fresh air. However, eventually he gets on everybody's nerves as he is a lecherous scrounger, borrowing money from both patients and doctors. When Dick tells him he knows he is not qualified to be a chief surgeon, he leaves - but appoints Lawrence Bingham as his successor.

Mrs. Loftus returns to work as a nurse at the same time that Annabel, Lady Cornford's daughter, starts work. Annabel does not want preferential treatment and disguises her parentage but when she lets it slip that she has had dinner with the professor and has been seeing a married man called Geoff, it is assumed that she and Loftus are having an affair. Mrs. Loftus eventually explains the truth but, to save face, Duncan tries to tell everybody about another of the professor's indiscretions.