Rita Freeman

Rita Freeman (formerly Richie) is the Clinical Nurse Manager at Holby ED. She joined the ED in 2013 as a staff nurse, and was promoted to Clinical Nurse Manager after Tess Bateman stepped down in 2015.

When she first arrived at the ED, she was liked by all the staff, despite having a stern attitude when she wanted something done. In March 2014 when Connie Beauchamp arrived, the two did not get along partially due to the fact they had very differing opinions on how the ED should have been run. When Rita was promoted, she started to notice that Connie was giving her staff the undesirable jobs which only made things worse between the two of them, but eventually Rita confronted Connie about it. After several other issues between them after this, they finally become on talking terms again by August 2015.

During her time at the ED, Rita has seen the arrival of new junior doctor Alicia Munroe, nurse co-workers Ben Chiltern and Jacob Masters, registrars Ethan Hardy and Caleb Knight, as well as the departure of Tess Bateman, Adrian Fletcher, Jamie Collier and Martin Ashford and the death of Jeff Collier

Time in the Emergency Department (2013-)
Rita was late for her first shift due to looking after an injured neighbour whose hoarding had got out of control. She makes strong first impressions on paramedics, Dixie Dixon and Jeff Collier as well as senior nurse, Fletch. Also in 2013, Rita was given the task to teach Lily Chao a better bedside manner after she was seen to be too blunt with patients.

In 2014, Rita's drinking became noticed by other members of staff, and was a result of a stressful time at work.

At the beginning of 2015, after her daughter Grace leaves for New York, Connie Beauchamp blames Rita for her daughter's dissapearance, as it occurred at the same time Rita's convicted sex offender husband returned to the hospital. Connie promises Rita that she will make Rita leave within six months.

In April 2015, a patient of Connie's, Alfred Maxwell, an MND sufferer dies, and Rita accuses Connie of assisting him to die, hiding vital evidence that suggests otherwise from the police. When she overhears the police saying they will need to search Connie's office, she rushes there first to see if the tablets which she thinks Connie gave to Alfred are really there, which they are, proving that Connie didn't do it. She still continues to hide the evidence and takes it as the police walk in. She's then left feeling guiltyand tells Charlie, and the case is dropped when he hands in the evidence to the police after she gives it to him.

Personal life
Rita was once married to Mark Richie, but they separated long before she started working at the ED. In July 2014, he turns up at the ED after being beaten up in prison.

In 2015, she began a relationship with Iain Dean after they kissed in October.

Relationships
Rita and Connie don't get along. This is mainly due to the conflict that arose when Connie treated the nurses badly and Rita felt it was her responsibility to step in due to the unfair treatment. When Rita called the police on Connie after she suspected she had helped Alfred to die, Connie was unaware who had reported her. However Charlie told Connie in Bucharest that it was Rita who reported her; Connie was already pretty much certain that it was her, although she wanted to hear Charlie say it. Recently, they have both kept out of each others way.

Rita is friends with Zoe, and they spend a lot of time together chatting during their shifts.

Rita is also close friends with Dixie, and the pair shared a kiss whilst out at a club. Nothing came out of it romantically though, and it wasn't mentioned by either of them again, apart from in 2015 when Rita thought Dixie may fancy her, but it turned out to be a joke.

Trivia

 * Always has a new project or hobby on the go, from rock-climbing to spelunking, Rita seems fearless.
 * Rita loves a bit of karaoke!
 * Rita became the Clinical Nurse Manager on 24 January 2015.
 * Rita owns a kayak.

Behind the scenes
Rita has been portrayed by Chloe Howman in Casualty since her arrival in 2013.

Reception
Series producer Erika Hossington praised Howman's acting and commented that she has "risen" to the challenge of Rita's new storyline. Rita was a love-hate character, expecially in the spring of 2015 when she framed Connie for helping Alfred die.

Appearances

 * Main article: Appearances of Rita Freeman.

Rita made her first appearance in Casualty in the series 28 episode "Once There Was a Way Home - Part One".