Pressure to keep her and their two children, Tony and Julien, in a posh house results in Will committing a fraudulent drugs trial.
Meanwhile, after years of trying for a baby, landlords of the local pub Chloe and James White have a daughter named Sarah-Jane.
Will and Sarah struggle to make their marriage work and move to a smaller house to help their financial worries.
They face further problems when their son Tony is involved in a serious fight at school and also when Sarah continues to attract male attention.
Beth is rocked by the death of her best friend Isabel De Gines, and Jack feels victimised when a family he tried to help make a complaint against him.
The Beeches take on trainee GP Andrew Attwood (Gary Mavers) and he moves into the pub whilst completing his exams.
Andrew makes Will feel unsettled at the Beeches and he decides to take a job in an inner-city practice.
At the end of the series, Kate finds out she is pregnant and despite booking in for a termination, she changes her mind and she and Will decide to settle down together.
Erica buys an old cottage and lays her roots in Cardale, and realising they have grown apart, Kirsty decides to return to Liverpool without Andrew.
David's wife Clare and their children Emma and Tom join him in Cardale and he quickly settles back into country life.
However, she and Will soon find out that their baby is sick and their worst fears are realised when Emily is diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis.
Will's friends ignore his professional advice; Sam invests in a controversial new drug; and Will clashes with ex-wife Kate over an alcoholic patient.
Tom is involved in a climbing accident; new nurse Claire (Eva Pope) wastes little time in making her presence felt at the practice; and a deadly epidemic puts strain on the Beeches.