Hospital soap Holby City will come to an end next year after 23 years on screen, the BBC has announced.
The Casualty spin-off, filmed at the BBC Elstree Centre in Borehamwood, follows the lives of staff at the fictional Holby City Hospital, the same hospital as Casualty.
A statement from the BBC said: "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.
"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."
Satellite view of the BBC Elstree Centre in Borehamwood. Credit: Google
Earlier this year the BBC announced it would move some of its key departments and staff outside London to make the corporation more reflective of the UK as a whole.
It announced it would launch two new soap-style drama series – one from the north of England and another from one of the nations – over the next three years.
The departure of Holby City at the BBC Centre comes as television and film production is given a boost elsewhere in Borehamwood.
Two new soundstages are being created at Elstree Studios, which is owned by Hertsmere Borough Council, while a new Sky Studios for film and television shows is being constructed in Rowley Lane, set to open next year.
There is also a proposal to create the UK's largest film studios on land near Well End.
See more: Elstree Studios' £15.6 million expansion in Borehamwood
See more: Plans for UK's largest film studios unveiled for Borehamwood
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