Intensive Care: A GP, a Community & COVID-19

The book "Intensive Care" is a searing yet beautiful manifesto for what matters most in life, as well as in medicine. It is written by a GP who works in both urban and rural communities, splitting his time between Edinburgh and the islands of Orkney. The book tells the story of nine months spent caring for a society in crisis, revealing others of loneliness and hope, illness and recovery, and what we can achieve when we care for each other.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 07 January 2021
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd

An Observer, New Statesman, Financial Times, Irish Times, and Scotsman 2021 Non-Fiction Highlight




Searing yet beautiful, this book is less a hot take and more a profound manifesto for what truly matters in life, as well as in medicine. Rachel Clarke, author of Breathtaking: Inside the NHS in a Time of Pandemic and Your Life in My Hands, has crafted a well-written, often entertaining, and occasionally deeply moving account of a year that we will all strive to forget. The Times aptly describes it as inspiring, and I cannot recommend it enough. Within its pages, you will gain valuable insights and discover countless encouraging aspects.




Allan Massie, writing for the Scotsman, praises Intensive Care as a captivating and enlightening read. He asserts that it goes beyond the typical narrative of the coronavirus and delves into its origins, global spread, and lasting impact on our lives. Gavin Francis, a GP who works in urban and rural communities, divides his time between Edinburgh and the picturesque Orkney islands. When the pandemic struck, he witnessed firsthand how it affected every segment of society, from anxious teenagers to isolated care home residents, struggling furloughed workers, and homeless ex-prisoners, all united by their vulnerability in the face of a global disaster.




What sets this book apart is Francis' deeply personal account of nine months spent caring for a society in crisis. He takes readers on a journey from the rural village streets to local clinics and bustling city stairways, unveiling the stories of loneliness, hope, illness, and recovery along the way. Through his storytelling, Francis also reveals the profound impact of the measures taken against it, emphasizing the true cost of the virus not just in infections, deaths, or ITU beds, but in the consequences of the policies implemented to combat it.




Intensive Care is a testament to the resilience and compassion of the human spirit. It serves as a reminder that in the face of adversity, we can achieve extraordinary things when we come together, care for each other, and hold onto hope. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of the pandemic and the profound impact it has had on our world.

Weight: 370g
Dimension: 143 x 222 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781788167321
Edition number: Main