Contemporary collecting by the Association of Anaesthetists Heritage Department

It was acknowledged early on during the COVID-19 pandemic that, with the symptom mix, anaesthetists and intensivists would become involved rapidly in the care of many patients in addition to their usual case load. Preparations were made for redeployment of non-intensivist anaesthetists, and other health care professionals, to provide care in proliferating areas of the hospital environment where ventilatory support could be provided. It was felt that there was little formal experience of similar events, or training in management, even though global pandemics are regrettably not that infrequent; even verbatim reports from the medical profession involved in the early 20th Century pandemics might have been of value.

As the country went into lockdown, the Heritage Team began preparations for a contemporary collecting project to collect and document anaesthetists’ and intensivists’ role in the fight against COVID-19. Our ambition was to collect equipment and testimonies proactively related to anaesthesia and anaesthetists, intensivists and intensive care. Alongside anaesthetists’ oral history interviews, we wanted to collect patients’ voices to gain a new perspective on anaesthesia. On the 1 May 2020, the Board of Trustees approved the Contemporary Collecting policy and the team launched the project.

Box 1

The Heritage Volunteers meet regularly with the Heritage Team, and at their virtual meeting in June 2020 the contemporary collecting plans were outlined. Dr Michael Ward immediately began collecting oral testimony from a cross section of anaesthetists who had become involved, in any capacity, in the global fight against this virulent virus.

To date, 14 interviews have taken place with Michael as the interviewer, using the training acquired by the Oral History Project of the Greats of Anaesthesia (Box 1). It is hoped that beyond a record of the pandemic, these audio recordings could be used to give confidence and aid management in the event of future similar pandemics.

In terms of other collecting, we have been promised: 

• UCL Ventura breathing aid developed by UCL engineers, UCLH clinicians and Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains 
• OxVent ventilator

We are awaiting confirmation from the Ventilator Challenge Consortium team about the ventilator they developed.

We have also acquired: 

• Photographs by Jonathan Williamson, anaesthetist and photographer working in a London Hospital during the pandemic. 
• Two written testimonies: an ST6 working at Evelina Children’s Hospital at Guy’s and St Thomas’ during the pandemic; and an anaesthetist told to ‘stand down’ due to pregnancy, and how her return to work was supported.
• Breath artworks created during the Creating Breath: a mindful hour of art and breath workshop run for members working on the frontline.

These interviews and objects will be included in our Heritage collection, to be held in perpetuity. Their historical value is self-evident: they will help us tell the pandemic story, and anaesthetists’ and intensivists’ role on the frontline, now and in the future.

We hope to have a display of the collection in the museum in the near future, and the oral history recordings have been made available online.

Finally, a touch of humour to end: a COVID-19 skit by Dr Mincher who was interviewed for the oral history project:

I thought the worst thing about working in a pandemic would be fear of catching the disease. Actually, I trust my PPE. What I’d never really thought about was how wearing it would be so different (Box 2). Thank goodness we’ve all got each other. My colleagues are the absolute business.

Caroline Hamson
Heritage Manager, Association of Anaesthetists 

Michael Ward
Retired Consultant Anaesthetist and Heritage Volunteer

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