NHS Voices of Covid-19
The NHS at 70: NHS Voices of Covid-19 initiative, directed by Dr Stephanie Snow, at the University of Manchester received funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the UKRI Covid-19 Urgency Call through the Arts and Humanities Research Council to document the impact of the global health pandemic on the lives of people across the four nations of the UK. The project builds on the NHS at 70 collection and you can see a number of stories online on their website.
In partnership with the British Library they are currently creating a unique national archive of personal testimonies that will capture the complex social dimensions of this crisis. The archive will be preserved at the British Library as a permanent public resource and will contribute to the knowledge of future health pandemics. In contrast to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, they aim to leave an important historical footprint and a legacy that consists of diverse voices, experiences and opinions.
Our members' work in pathology constitutes a significant intervention in the evolving oral testimonies of the pandemic in ‘real time’. This matters as it allows the project to capture for both current and future generations including policy makers, the significance of the wider political, social and scientific context of the current situation.
The NHS Voices of Covid-19 project appreciates the constraints you will have on your time during this extraordinary period and says that even a short interview would be hugely valuable for the project – they can accommodate any time to suit you including weekends and evenings.
Please also note that you are able to close all or parts of the interview for a period of years if this is something that might enable you to speak more frankly.
If you would like to make an informal enquiry or you are interested in contributing towards this project, please take the time to read the attached Participant Information Sheet and Recording Agreement (which you would be asked to complete after the interview) before contacting the project manager Angela Whitecross on angela.whitecross@manchester.ac.uk