Viewers concerned for Call the Midwife character after she is rushed to hospital with septicaemia

As if Call the Midwife didn’t do enough to worry viewers with Trixie leaving last week, the most recent episode ended with a cliffhanger as nurse Barbara was rushed to hospital.

Initially, it was thought that the midwife – played by Charlotte Ritchie – had become ill after the stress of delivering a set of twins and a horrific home fire. However, at the episode’s end, Doctor Turner revealed that Barbara may have developed septicaemia.

• What is septicaemia – and is it life-threatening?
• 63 behind the scenes facts you didn’t know about Call the Midwife

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWb5_esI-EA

Viewers are worried about what the future holds for their favourite nurse...

https://twitter.com/LolaPraciak/status/967867286056067072

https://twitter.com/Becca_ChambersX/status/967867552352358400

https://twitter.com/Amygoodyxo/status/967880616996990977

https://twitter.com/alexandra_b_xo/status/967884873758330881

https://twitter.com/Erin_Grimes/status/967915443263561733

https://twitter.com/sarah_stook/status/967866033250979840

https://twitter.com/GavinWorby/status/967884383813296128

https://youtu.be/bgi2FviOU2A

In fact, many have pleaded directly to the show not to kill off the character...

https://twitter.com/seutendeern/status/967867077175447553

https://twitter.com/MariekeAkker/status/967866814020702216

It was an especially tough twist given that a similar storyline on The Archers ended with Nic Grundy die from the same disease…

https://twitter.com/katbrown/status/967866054222499840

https://twitter.com/RhiannonWalpole/status/967871931352584192

https://twitter.com/stevenperkins/status/967866375371919368