Doctors who died during pandemic to be remembered

The artist behind a special sculpture said it shows the public are ‘inextricably linked’ with the NHS workers who lost their lives.

Doctors who died during the coronavirus pandemic are being remembered with a special service in London (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Archive)

Doctors who died during the coronavirus pandemic will be remembered with a special service during which a sculpture in their honour will be unveiled.

The names of 50 doctors will be read aloud at the event on Wednesday which is being held at the headquarters of the British Medical Association (BMA) in London.

Following a minute’s silence, BMA president Professor Neena Modi will address the invited guests, including the loved ones of some of the doctors who died with Covid.

The service is due to be brought to a close with a performance of We Will Remember, We Can’t Forget – a piece of music composed for the BMA in tribute to healthcare workers who have died during the pandemic.

I aim to convey the sense of continuity of care that the NHS has provided

Sculptor Richard Tannenbaum

Sculptor Richard Tannenbaum said his work aims to show that “the public are inextricably linked with those NHS workers who lost their lives in caring for us”.

Describing the art, he said: “From a supporting base the stone sculpture rises in a continuous loop of jointed sections.

“I aim to convey the sense of continuity of care that the NHS has provided, that because of the sacrificial service of the health workers it has continued to function ceaselessly throughout the pandemic, that though individual parts have been particularly hard-pressed, the integrity of the whole has been maintained and that we the public are inextricably linked with those NHS workers who lost their lives in caring for us.”

Today we pay tribute to the heroism and selflessness of those members of the medical workforce who lost their own lives in the pursuit of saving others

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA

The list of names has been collated by the BMA, which says those are the doctors known to have died across the UK in the pandemic.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said he hoped the service would be a “fitting” way to mourn those who have died but also celebrate their lives.

He said: “Today we pay tribute to the heroism and selflessness of those members of the medical workforce who lost their own lives in the pursuit of saving others. We also offer our profound sorrow and heartfelt condolences to their families, friends and colleagues.

“We hope that today’s service, and presentation of the memorial sculpture, offers some comfort to their loved ones, and provides a fitting way to both mourn their loss, and also to celebrate their lives, achievements and stories.”