Covid: 'It felt we were live streaming somebody's death'

'It felt we were live streaming somebody's death' BBC Dr Ceri Lynch believes her own critical care department, along with others, were close to becoming overwhelmed at certain points A doctor at one of Wales' hospitals hardest hit by Covid described seeing families "decimated" by the virus. Dr Ceri Lynch worked at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital near Llantrisant, and said she tries not to think too much about the time. But the memories that hurt most are about people dying with their family members unable to be there.

The impact of the pandemic on NHS staff such as Dr Lynch will be under the spotlight as the UK Covid-19 Inquiry resumes its hearings in London on Monday. Part three of the inquiry is looking specifically at the effect on the NHS in the four UK nations. "I try not to think about it if I'm honest - it was a very unpleasant and stressful time for everybody," she said.



"We were seeing entire families decimated by Covid, several members of the same family coming into our unit and dying. "It was heart-breaking." Talking about people dying alone with no loved-ones, she added: "That felt so wrong at the time, and it feels wrong now looking back.

" Dr Ceri Lynch Dr Ceri Lynch, says working during the pandemic was "a very unpleasant and stressful time for everybody" Dr Lynch believes her own critical care department, along with others, were close to becoming overwhelmed at certain points. The entire pandemic left staff exhausted, she said. "We had to try and be the family's representatives and look after the patient, pass on messages and be there when they died," Dr Lynch explained.

"Often we were communicating via tablets and iPads, and that felt very wrong...

Owain Clarke.