Two years ago today, the first Covid-19 patients were treated in London after being transferred from Brighton to Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr Tehseen Khan, a London GP and senior clinical adviser for the Covid-19 vaccination programme, has seen some of the worst of the pandemic, with Covid-19 spreading quickly among the capital’s patients, and the best of human nature as NHS staff rallied together and drew on their strength and resilience to keep going. He said:

“As we reflect on two years of the pandemic; from the first patient to come into hospital with coronavirus to the latest person to have the life-saving vaccine, it is important and perhaps helpful to reflect on our experiences and the enormous amount we’ve learned in the last two years.

“In the early days of this unprecedented pandemic, neither the public nor those working in the NHS had any idea what to expect. We have all faced the devastating effects of this illness along with the lockdown restrictions, limits on movement and guidance designed to limit the spread of infection, as we have tried to come to terms with this tragedy as it has unfolded on a grand scale”.

The effects of Covid-19 cannot be understated, from serious illness and death to the debilitating effects of long Covid. One of those most affected by the lasting effects of Covid-19 is Andrew Watts, who was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich in December 2020. The 40-year-old from Bexley spent eight months in intensive care and two months on a ward and only recently started breathing without oxygen support, more than a year after catching the virus. He was discharged from hospital in November and is a keen advocate of vaccination, having had both doses and the booster. Andrew says:

“I can’t speak highly enough of the staff at the hospital – they did so much for me. Everyone was incredible, from the nurses and consultants in the ITU through to the physiotherapists during my recovery. I still pop back to see them when I visit the hospital; they are now friends to me and my family. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be where I am today.

“Now I’m looking forward to living life normally as much as possible, enjoying life – and taking care of my health too – as we all learn to live with covid”

London North West University Healthcare Trust’s Northwick Park Hospital was one of the first in London to have been severely impacted by the pandemic in March 2020, and Tricia Mukherjee, Head of Nursing for Emergency and Ambulatory Care reflects on her experience then compared to the situation now, saying:

“Initially, Covid-19 was frightening with so many uncertainties, fear, nervousness, worries about loved ones and so much more. Staff were amazing during the initial phase of the pandemic and still continue to be. Those from community settings, outpatient, physios, dental services, surgeons, consultants, medical students, finance teams, HR teams and others all pulled together; it was incredible. They were incredible.

“When I received my first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, it felt like a saving grace, the start of protecting us from this invisible enemy. Thanks to the vaccination programme the situation is so much better today, our patients are not as sick and we feel so much more prepared and in control.”

Mayoral Health Advisor Dr Tom Coffey OBE said:

“The past two years have been incredibly challenging as we have watched the devastating effects of the pandemic unfold across society. We have experienced great tragedy and loss, but we have also seen Londoners demonstrate resilience, kindness and bravery.

“I’m proud that we have seen the very best of the NHS across the whole range of services that it provides. Healthcare workers have helped save so many lives in such difficult circumstances, and risen to the challenge of delivering the rollout of the vaccination programme.

“The vaccine is our best hope in managing the virus and helping us to rebuild and recover, that is why I urge all Londoners to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible.”