Catch Your Breath: The Secret Life of a Sleepless Anaesthetist

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What is really happening there is unfathomable for the majority of - hopefully - accidental visitors of the surgery room. Anaesthetist and comedian Ed Patrick shares many funny and touching stories from his journey to working as an NHS specialist and a bit (although not too much, as we’re all sick of it! Ed Patrick's story unfolds against their challenging journey during the pandemic, where the physical and emotional strains on healthcare professionals reach unprecedented levels. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Small things like this in medicine (being human) are shown throughout the book, being a doctor is not only about being clever but rather having empathy and compassion.

It was a draining time for doctors that even their days off did not feel like days off, there were simply days where they were at the hospital and days when they are not. I didn’t expect that being an anaesthetist in a pandemic would leave me outside my front door naked, or indeed that I’d be telling this story to readers. Ed Patrick frequently describes feeling helpless in the novel whilst his patients rely on him and sometimes you cannot completely rely on facts, especially during moments of emotional hardship in families after losing a loved one. On top of this it's moving without being overwrought, and insightful about the issues facing the NHS without being preachy. Ed weaves his humanity through this, with frequent and tender references to his family, in particular his parents which leaves you in no doubt as to the man he is.

He also created and presented “Infectious Personalities” broadcasted on BBC Radio 2 where his guests include Charlie Brooker and Sindhu Vee. Full of humour, honest and unfettered emotion touching not only on the training that junior doctors must go through but how the NHS faired during the covid pandemic.

It may be interesting, but there certainly aren't any plot twists, secret lives or extraordinary things you wouldn't know if you had just a little interest in the field. Authentic is also his account of the time spent in the hospital during the hardship of Corona times. Catch Your Breath moved me from laughter, to moments of remembrance and gave me a whole new appreciation of what working in a hospital is like. You'll find more information about accessibile performances and how to book tickets in the accessibility tab below. I feel that the author was trying quite desperately to be funny in an Adam Kay sort of way but it just wasn’t working… sorry.Declaration of Interest* - I know the author personally, however if you also know him you'll understand why this only makes a positive review even more valid. No multiple choice exam can prepare one for the reality of dealing with people in crisis and not all good doctors have the right answers.

Hard hitting and hilariously funny, not quite the combination youd expect from a behind the scenes tale of an anaesthetist!

Reading this completely humanises medical professionals and has helped me to feel reassured that I would be safe in the hands of Ed or any of his colleagues.