A Year on the NHS Frontline
Dr John Wright began recording for the 大象传媒 on March 16th, the day of the Prime Minister's first address to the nation on the pandemic: Winifred Robinson presents his audio diaries.
Dr John Wright began recording for the 大象传媒 on March 16th, the day of the Prime Minister's first address to the nation on the pandemic: Winifred Robinson presents his audio diaries.
This special edition of Archive on 4 uses those past recordings and also hears from medical teams on duty today at the Bradford Royal Infirmary as they reflect on the last twelve months. With the vaccination program well underway there is cause for optimism, but patients are still being treated on the covid wards and there are many people needing ongoing treatment for long covid.
The series enjoyed unparalleled access at a time when so little was known and people were anxious for information: hospitals were shut to visitors and no other media access had been granted. Dr Wright, a veteran of cholera, HIV and Ebola epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa, managed to capture the emotions, sacrifices and inventiveness of his colleagues: his diaries went out on Radio 4 and the World Service and he also wrote weekly accounts for 大象传媒 News Online.
A few weeks into the pandemic other journalists and photographers gained access to hospitals, but even then this series was often ahead of the curve. Dr Wright carried his recorder everywhere as he helped lead the response at his hospital, the Bradford Royal Infirmary. His colleagues became known to audiences as they battled exhaustion, infection, and coped with their own bereavements. The hospital played a leading role in national trials which helped bring new treatments into use.
This was a time of fear and lockdown created the conditions for rumours and fake news to spread. Dr Wright skilfully navigated the need to inform and educate and conveyed the reality faced by NHS staff. The volume of his output at a time when he and his colleagues were under remarkable strain was remarkable: achieved by carrying his little recorder everywhere, and always keeping it sealed as he went onto the covid wards.
The pandemic quickly changed every aspect of hospital life, from new ICU wards to the widespread use of CPAP machines. At the start, Dr Wright was unsure about making this kind of commitment to programme making but one year on he is glad that this important public record exists. He had overseen the response to other infectious diseases elsewhere in the world, Ebola for example and HIV, but nothing had quite prepared him for what was happening in his own hospital:
"We began this pandemic year knowing so little, and now we have learnt so much. We have learnt about our deep reserves of bravery and compassion in NHS and care staff. We have learnt about the remarkable kindness and generosity and the strength in our communities. We have learnt about the power of science and research to develop effective treatments and vaccines.
We have also learnt how unequal the pandemic has affected our country. It is the oldest have died in the greatest numbers and the poorest who have suffered the most. There will be a long shadow from the pandemic as the virus bursts back into flame in the coming months and the economic consequences are felt. "
Produced by Sue Mitchell
Presented by Winifred Robinson
