Humans of the Pandemic
Portraits & thoughts from 67 staff at NHS George Eliot Hospital during the COVID-19 first wave (May - Aug 2020)
Humans of the Pandemic features portrait photographs of 67 staff at NHS George Eliot Hospital, alongside their thoughts about caring for patients during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic first wave.
As a photographer, it’s been fascinating to meet so many people, hear their stories and photograph in unique habitats. As a medical student, it’s been the best education in how a hospital works and who Matthew will work alongside in future.
A small selection of these portraits are now exhibited on the walls of George Eliot Hospital, reminding patients of the people across the hospital who were (and still are) there for them even during the most difficult times.
Roles featured here include doctors, domestics, maternity, mortuary, nurses, pathology, pharmacy, physio, and surgery – to name a few.
“I felt very anxious to begin with. Wearing full PPE is very draining and tiring, especially when it's constant. But as a multidisciplinary team we worked together and supported each other.”
— JULIE, OPERATING DEPARTMENT PRACTITIONER
The Project
Between April and August 2020, Matthew met and photographed these inspiring people while balancing work on the respiratory ward at George Eliot Hospital and his medical studies.
Matthew asked each participant for a portrait as they were, and one to briefly reveal their face if possible. The varying PPE reflects the evolving guidance and places of work at the time they were photographed. Most have kindly shared their thoughts too.
As an underwater photographer, his waterproof housing was perfect for decontaminating between locations, helping him gain support from the Infection Control team.
This project started as a way to share his love of photography with the staff on Elizabeth (COVID positive) ward. It soon snowballed into a labour of love where he tried to meet, photograph and recognise every role that changed, adapted or intensified to meet the demands of COVID-19 on an NHS district general hospital.
Matthew wanted to show it wasn’t only the ICU and A&E in major trauma hospitals that were affected. He wanted to photograph staff in their natural habitat, not pulled away from their work to a studio. He uncovered more roles than he had ever imagined and stopped only out of necessity for his studies. These photos will soon take pride of place on George Eliot Hospital’s walls.
As a medical student, it’s been an enlightening insight into how hospitals work and who he’ll soon work alongside. As a photographer, it’s been a privilege to meet and photograph such incredible people. He hopes this gallery provides some recognition to some of the vast team, roles, and humans that is the NHS.
“We welcomed Matt into the hospital and are really grateful for his professional support during the COVID pandemic. His and his colleagues’ efforts helped us get through a very challenging time. His portraits capture the unity, hard work and dedication of all our staff and act as a tribute to their efforts. I’m proud to work with all of them.”
A small selection of “Humans of the Pandemic” portraits now adorn the walls of George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton, for years to come.