Inside the John Radcliffe Hospital on the Covid front line

What is it like to work through a pandemic at one of the region's busiest hospitals? That's the subject of a new documentary about Oxford University Hospitals.
What is it like to work through a pandemic at one of the region's busiest hospitals? That's the subject of a new documentary about Oxford University Hospitals. Credit: Oxford University Hospitals

What is it like to work through a pandemic at one of the region's busiest hospitals?

That's the subject of a new documentary about Oxford University Hospitals which explores how its medical staff adapted to cope with the first wave of the virus. The film tells one patient's incredible story of survival, and provides a rare insight into the pressures facing staff.  

  • Report by ITV News Meridian's Charlotte Briere-Edney:

Ken Wood from Abingdon was taken to the John Radcliffe by ambulance back in March.

He was there for 3 weeks, spending 13 days in ICU. His near-death story is now part of a feature about the pandemic.

Kev Wood spent 13 days in ICU

  • Ken Wood- Covid survivor:

The documentary was commissioned by the Oxford University Hospitals Trust to help show what life was like during the pandemic, with NHS camera operators filming on covid wards.

  • Jim Tustian- Documentary maker:

The film explores some of the changes made throughout the trust during the first wave.

Nurses were quickly retrained in intensive care procedures, and team structures were adapted to make sure everything got done, ticking off tasks as they went.

Time to wind down is just as important as time on the ward.

  • Lyn Bennett- Matron, Adult critical care:

It meant the outlook for patients like Ken was hugely improved.

Ken is still recovering from his ordeal. He's deeply grateful to all those who looked after him earlier this year.

For medical staff at the frontline of a second wave of the disease, the many lessons learned then mean new Covid patients have even better chances.