Diane Lloyd is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actress Patricia Potter.

Writers also created a romantic connection with consultant Ric Griffin (Hugh Quarshie), which lasted her entire duration.

Writers created a long running "love triangle" story between the characters which culminated in Owen being unfaithful and choosing to be with Chrissie.

Potter, Quarshie and the show's crew travelled to the Ghanaian city of Elmina, where they filmed the episode in sweltering heat.

Diane appears as a vision when Ric Griffin goes into cardiac arrest during brain surgery to remove a benign tumour.

When the hospital staff accuse a relative, Matt Bradshaw (Dominic Rickhards) of domestically abusing his wife, he directs his anger towards Diane and hits her.

[9] Producers then paired Diane with charge nurse Steve Waring (Peter de Jersey) for her second relationship story.

She described Steve's departure as "terribly sad" with "the added trauma of the abortion", which showed her "vulnerability - she's usually very strong - and I enjoyed having a good cry.

[16] The actress told a reporter from BBC Online that "I'd love Diane and Ric to end up as a bickering old married couple.

She told Alex Tate from The People that explained "Owen is the real Lothario type who isn't too keen on commitment and Diane backs off when any relationship gets serious, so they work quite well together.

"[6] When Diane's pregnant sister Joanna Lloyd (Hannah Bourne) is involved in a car accident she is rushed to hospital.

Her boss Connie Beauchamp (Amanda Mealing) begins to pressurise her into progressing faster in her hospital role and put her career first.

[21] Writers began to include Owen's ex-wife, ward sister Chrissie Williams (Tina Hobley) in the story.

[22] As Nicola Methven and Polly Hudson from the Daily Mirror noted, Owen and Chrissie had a five-year relationship with constant reconciliation.

[26] Writers developed even more problems for the couple by introducing Owen's daughter Katie Davis (Anna Diski).

[28] Hobley told Lynne Michelle from the Sunday Mirror that Chrissie's motive for snaring Owen from Diane is because she can see he has moved on with his life.

[18] In May 2005, an Inside Soap article detailed the remarks of an Holby City publicist calling the plot a long-running "love triangle" story, which would continue into the British Summer months.

The episode was commissioned as part of the BBC's "Africa lives" series, a week of programmes exploring African life and culture for UK audiences.

Potter told Steve Hendry from the Sunday Mail that "it looks like it could have been quite temperate which is a little disappointing after so much suffering and pain.

"[40] The episode features Diane travelling to Ghana to locate Ric and attempt to convince him to return to Holby City.

[4] Quarshie told a reporter from Inside Soap that Diane's arrival caused Ric to question his life choices.

This included having her car stolen, being accused of racism and the hospital board deciding she cannot operate without the supervision of surgeon Jac Naylor (Rosie Marcel).

"[46] During her final episode Diane hands in her resignation from the hospital and Elliot Hope (Paul Bradley) convinces her to take a break at his country cottage, even lending her his wife's car.

[53] He added "her return is in itself an anniversary homage to a time on the show when we experimented quite regularly with genre and style, so the audience can expect something very different indeed in a unique and quirky episode where Ric faces a terrifying and life-changing choice.

She added that "a fairly convincing story" had been created in the weeks prior to her death, where she gradually became disillusioned, isolated and fed up.

She thought that "it was an infuriating way to write her out - either give her the fresh start exit or a juicy death scene - and it felt as if the programme was trying to have its cake and eat it.

"[66] Reviewing the episode in which Diane died, a Birmingham Mail critic said that there is "never a dull moment" in "one of the most disaster-prone regions in TV land.

[46] A Western Mail named Diane as one of the Holby City characters that put their personal lives before the welfare of patients.

[68] Rachel Mainwaring of Wales on Sunday questioned the plausibility of Diane and Jess going off-site to stop Alex from killing himself when the hospital was understaffed and overcrowded.

[69] Jim Shelley writing for the Daily Mirror criticised a dialogue mistake during a scene featuring Diane requesting an ambulance and oxygen whilst being stuck in remote Ghana.