Jemma Redgrave is joining the cast of BBC One's medical drama Holby City.

A member of the Redgrave acting dynasty, the 50-year-old is the daughter of actor Corin Redgrave and niece of Vanessa Redgrave and Lynn Redgrave.

Her acting cousins include Joely Richardson and the late Natasha Richardson.

Redgrave will play the role of Bernie (Berenice) Wolfe, a general surgeon with battlefield experience. She will first appear as a patient on Darwin ward, before settling professionally in Keller ward.

Leading roles in the theatre include a 1990 revival of Anton Chekhov's The Three Sisters in London's West End with her aunts Vanessa Redgrave and Lynn Redgrave, and a 1993 production of Alexander Griboyedov's Chatsky with Colin Firth at the Almeida Theatre, London.

Redgrave, whose TV appearances include stints in Doctor Who, said: "It will be great to be practicing medicine again, on one of the BBC's flagship dramas. I am so happy to be joining the cast."

Oliver Kent, Holby City's executive producer, said: "When we dreamed up the character of Bernie Wolfe, we immediately thought of Jemma Redgrave and we were utterly thrilled when she agreed to join the Holby Company.

"Bernie Wolfe will be a force to be reckoned with and I can't wait to see her locking horns with our established regulars on the wards".

Redgrave will feature in the series for six months, appearing on screens from early next year.