Intensivists and anaesthetists
It is without doubt true that I couldn’t do my job without them. For me there is no debate, oft heard, that others are as good at managing an airway. Nonsense; I want an anaesthetist managing the airway, and an anaesthetist managing care in theatre, interventional radiology, or catheter laboratory.
"I love coffee, but I don’t like lycra or cycling. “Two out of three ain’t bad” - but you can’t base a career on one? For me it’s been Intensive Care Medicine, with no “dabbling” in anaesthesia. “Mad”, from anaesthetic colleagues, please rejoin our gang for your sanity. But I am very happy doing ICM alone and instead watch in shock and awe anaesthetic colleagues, dressed in lycra arrive happy for work; and also then watch them leave happy for home too!
"And it is without doubt true that I couldn’t do my job without them. For me there is no debate, oft heard, that others are as good at managing an airway. Nonsense; I want an anaesthetist managing the airway, and an anaesthetist managing care in theatre, interventional radiology, or catheter laboratory. Where risks of harm are orders of magnitude lower than in ICM, anaesthetists are best. They have successfully driven risks down with zeal, and determination. Anaesthetists have led the hospital safety culture for staff too in their fight against fatigue.
"So to COVID-19. In the absence of enough intensivists, it was anaesthesia who stepped into that breach. Some managed intubations and stabilisation, some returned to ICM, some both.
"So my dear lycra-clad colleagues and friends, on your special day, I couldn’t do my job without you, diolch yn fawr iawn. Thank you."
Dr Jack Parry-Jones, Intensivist Royal Gwent Hospital, FICM Board member