Working as an anaesthetist and in Critical Care I have been blown away by the response from my hospital to the coronavirus pandemic. There have been changes to the structure of the hospital that I wouldn’t have believed possible before this, many of these changes seemingly happening overnight. Most notable to me are the numerous operating theatres, their associated anaesthetic rooms and recovery areas evolving into an intensive care unit, increasing our critical care capacity five fold.

This kind of upheaval does not happen on its own. Hundreds of staff have retrained and been reallocated. The willingness of staff at all levels in the hospital to go well beyond the call of duty has been staggering. It is a true testament to the hard work and commitment of everybody both at work and staying at home that whilst the hospital has been busy we have not had to compromise the way we care for patients or care for one another.

As I write this I have been in self-isolation for some days as my wife, a paediatrician, has symptoms and is awaiting the results of a coronavirus test. We are unable to go to work or leave the house; I have had a taster of how many around the country have been living for the last 4 weeks. I realise how lucky I have been to go to work and do the job I love whilst those staying home has been playing their incredibly important part in fighting the pandemic.