Whittington Hospital : in the time of Covid

In the early summer of 2020, hospitals across Britain were overwhelmed with serious cases of Covid 19. Intensive Care Units were working beyond their capacity and death tolls were rocketing.

This was something the NHS had never faced before and hospital staff had to adapt daily to the intense demands placed on them. There was a shortage of masks and other PPE, a fear that ventilators and other vital supplies would run out and the constant threat of exposure to the deadly virus for all staff members and their families. Slater King realised this was a moment in time that had to be recorded and, with the agreement of Whittington Hospital management, he was allowed to photograph the response of the hospital staff to the pandemic. His mission was not simply to create a photographic record, he also interviewed each of his subjects, and their responses are published alongside their portraits.

This is an important book, a record of the skill, compassion, dedication and courage of doctors, nurses and other staff members who put the lives of others before their own. As Slater King observed, it was joyful to see just how prevalent the best of humanity actually is.