| John Gaskell | |
|---|---|
| Holby City character | |
 Paul McGann as John Gaskell | |
| First appearance | "Group Animal – Part One" 5 December 2017 |
| Last appearance | "One of Us" 20 November 2018 |
| Portrayed by | Paul McGann |
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation | Consultant neurosurgeon Director of surgical innovations Director of medicine |
Professor John Gaskell is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actor Paul McGann. He first appeared in the nineteenth series episode "Group Animal − Part One", broadcast on 5 December 2017. John is a consultant neurosurgeon who joins the staff at Holby City Hospital as the director of surgical innovations. The character and McGann's casting was announced on 4 April 2017 and the actor began filming in August. Producers approached McGann about the role while he was appearing in a theatre production and when he liked the character, he signed a twelve-month contract.
John is characterised as an excellent surgeon with an established reputation. John's backstory states he attended university with Henrik Hanssen (Guy Henry) and Roxanna MacMillan (Hermione Gulliford) and in his career, John has used stem cell treatment to reverse motor neurone disease. Despite his fame, John remains down-to-earth and has not become arrogant. John's two-part introduction sees him arrive at the hospital as a mass shooting begins, which kills and injures regular characters. A trailer and promotional image was released for John's introduction. The character has been well-received by critics, who anticipated his introduction.