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Credit
James Napier's film - Final edited version. In copyright. Source: Wellcome Collection.
James Napier, Consultant - Intensive Treatment Unit at Newham University Hospital, filmed in artist's studio in August 2020.
In 2020, Dr. James Napier held the position of Clinical Director for both the Intensive Care Unit and Anaesthesia. Appointed in March, just before the pandemic began, he was responsible for establishing the hospital’s critical care response to COVID-19 and ensuring that the necessary facilities, staffing, and equipment were in place to manage what was then an unknown and rapidly evolving situation.
Dr. Napier describes an overwhelming sense of urgency and the feeling that immediate action was essential. Newham is a small hospital with a limited Intensive Care Unit, and it quickly became clear that they did not have the facilities to care for large numbers of patients. He recalls that it felt like preparing for war. The focus on getting things done was incredible. Everyone pulled together.
The biggest surprise was that people were not coming in the numbers they had expected. Dr. Napier reflects on the COVID messaging and the stories circulating in the local community that if you went to the hospital, you would die. He finds it upsetting that so many people suffered and died without ever seeking the help they needed. He believed that the slogan "Protect the NHS" was misguided and that the message should instead have been "Protect life."
Dr James Napier hopes that in the future we will be better prepared, with sufficient equipment and psychological support, so that people are resilient and able to cope emotionally and mentally with the challenges ahead.
Keywords: Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU), Teamwork, Preparedness, Covid messaging, Management roles, Leadership