It felt like our generation's world war - doctor

A senior medic at Worcestershire Royal Hospital has recounted his experience of the pandemic - saying it was like preparing for a "world war".

This Sunday will mark the five-year anniversary of the nation going into lockdown - and when Dr Julian Berlet was involved in preparing the county's hospitals for a surge in patients.

"I remember being at a school football match in early March (2020), just chatting to some folks on the touchline," he said.

"And I remember likening it to the equivalent of our world war."

Dr Berlet is an anaesthetist and the deputy chief medical officer for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

"I knew this was going to be a massive event for everyone of our generation, almost a once-in-a-life experience, in a really bad way," he said.

"We didn't know what to expect at all. I remember we'd just had a briefing [from national NHS bosses], warning that we needed to plan for a huge increase in intensive care capacity.

"I remember getting that message and I had to take myself off for a drive, just to try and clear my head to try and understand it.

"I didn't feel ready to go home and share that message with my family, because it was so scary."

He said he was "immensely" proud of all the staff at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, many of whom were traumatised by what was going on.

"Certainly around intensive care, I remember we tried to buy as much equipment as we could," he said.

"There was a level of anxiety that we could run out of equipment, so we were trying to get it from anywhere.

"We created three more intensive care units across the county.

"I think there's been a lasting effect on staff - an awful lot were deeply traumatised by what they had to do.

"It prompted our focus on wellbeing - on looking after yourself."

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