I did not get around to reading this book prior to it’s publication date and it has since been archived therefore I cannot leave a review at this time.

Tried reading this one and it just was not meant for me. This does not mean that it is not a good book, I just was not in the right place to be reading it and have decided to not try picking it up anytime in the near future.

As a former NHS worker I was intrigued about this book, and it did not disappoint. It was a touching and interesting journey through the life of an NHS doctor and an excellent resource for understanding how the COVID crisis has stretched and tested our NHS staff. I really enjoyed the audiobook and would recommend to others.

I mostly decided to pick up this book since it was available on NetGalley's "read now" audiobooks. September 2020 was a bit too early to publish such a book since not all the puzzle pieces are revealed, but I'm guessing it was a matter of hitting the iron while it was hot. Dr. Domnici Pimenta talks about his experience moving from Cardiology to an Intensive Care Unit in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. He covers everything starting from the first 2 UK COVID-19 cases in January when he was training in Cardiology. Listening to this at the end of 2020/beginning of 2021, it was very disheartening to remember how we were all fooled it won't get this serious, like there was no way it would affect the lives of people in other continents and get global. I remember myself trying to calm a patient (I'm a pharmacist) when the first cases outside of China were starting to appear. However, I feel lucky that in Romania, the measures were taken very quickly according to WHO's recommendations, despite public outrage. At the opposite pole, UK treated everything with a surprising lightness which turned out as it wow-what-a-surprise did. Duty of Care didn't really tell me anything I didn't know, only reminded me how frustrating being an ignored healthcare specialist is. I really hope Dr. Pimenta waited until the end of the pandemic to have the full picture before publishing a book about it.

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure I would be able to keep going with the audio version at first as I found the narration a little slow, but I changed it to 1.25x speed and it was much better (mostly)! It was a fascinating insight that was both emotive and scary, hearing it all from the other side and those in the thick of it.

It made me appreciate our incredible doctors and nurses and wonderful NHS even more than I already did and I’m glad I listened to it.

Hi there!

I have downloaded every other audio book since this feature was added without a problem, but for some reason this book would not download to my Netgalley Shelf. Therefore, it just sat in my new folder by itself until I received notice that it was archived. Many apologies for not reaching out sooner, I’ve had a lupus flare up and haven’t been feeling well at all.

I would still really love to listen to this book if there is another way that you could send me a widget.

Thanks

A compelling glimpse into the UK front-line response to COVID-19 from one social media savvy NHS doctor. While the pandemic is still raging and the full COVID story has yet to be written, this is a solid beginning-of-the-storm memoir.

I really enjoyed this book. I listened to it via audiobook - thanks Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.
It may seem strange to want to read about a pandemic whilst still in the middle of a pandemic however this book gives such a great insight, it’s no longer fear of the totally unknown for me. There were times I was shocked and times where I cried and had to put the book down for a while to take in what I had heard.
I also enjoyed the questions and answers part with the author - who was also the narrator.

Thank you for letting me review.

I found this quite interesting as it is a real doctors experience of the pandemic. However, I found at times it dragged on a bit and didn’t really give any new stories.

Fascinating.
Dominic Pimenta was a cardiac surgeon in a busy London hospital when news of a new strain of a potentially deadly coronavirus started to filter through to him. The more he learned, the more concerned he became. He started to wear a mask for his tube journey in and out of work, but couldn't understand why the government was taking so little action.

This is a behind-the-scenes story of the build-up of Covid19, from a rumour coming out of China, to a deadly onslaught of the NHS in Britain. Dominic Pimenta was there, in the hospital, trying to spread the alarm. He was frustrated by the fact he couldn't test the early cases because the requirement for testing was that patients had to have travelled recently, or had contact with someone who had. These suspect patients went into the regular wards because there was no official reason to isolate them.

As the cases began to trickle in, gradually and then rapidly increasing in number, the medical staff began to struggle with shortage of protective equipment and eventually oxygen. Doctors and nurses were transferred from other wards, trained in emergency procedures and allocated to a Covid ward. As people stayed away from hospital for routine treatments, so more Covid wards were opened and more staff cross-trained. The work was grueling and continuous, but in spite of the toll it was having on staff, they kept going relentlessly. In the face of seemingly hopeless odds, several of the patients began to turn a corner and improve.

As time progressed it became more clear what would help the patients and what was less useful. A procedure called 'proning' appeared to be particularly effective. This involved turning patients at regular intervals, allowing the more functional parts of the lungs to access oxygen that was pooling elsewhere.

Throughout all this Mr Pimenta was not only working his shifts on the Covid wards but also building a charity. He and his medically trained wife wanted to provide food and drink for staff and psychiatric support for those that were struggling. As if that wasn't enough, his organisation started to procure the protective equipment that had been running short due to inadequate government response. He was even involved in starting up a 3D farm, manufacturing masks and protective eye coverings.

This is one incredible man who should be recognised in the honours lists, in my opinion.
He reads his own story but with humility. The only parts I was less keen on were the Q&A sessions, which interrupted the flow and didn't really add a lot.

For anyone who has lived through this and would be interested in knowing what was going on behind the scenes, this is a must-read.

COVID-19 effects everyone. It is in our lives now and will be for the foreseeable future, while we may feel the effects, it is our front line doctors and nurses who are bearing the brunt of it. Dominic Pimenta is a Cardiology Registrar in the NHS, working in London.

Each day the virus was getting worse more countries effected and more deaths to go alongside. The pandemic was moving at a speed that was worse than first thought, it was coming. While it may sound something of fiction we all know it is the world we are now living in.

Dom gives an insight into the hospital he was working at, how it was changing every day trying to keep up with the demand the virus brought. The ICU was the most in-demand area trying to keep the people fighting for their lives going, trying to give them a chance to fight the virus.

Something that really stuck with me was hearing about each person on the unit, we get to understand a tiny sliver of their lives and are rooting for each and every one. Not everyone survives this deadly virus. Dom worked will in the ICU, he had some experience before this. I truly feel for every doctor and nurse thrown in ICU who have had none.

The country wasn't prepared for what was coming, Dom could see the needs arising within the NHS and in the health care community. There wasn't enough PPE, people working all day in the hospitals couldn't pop to the shop after work and pick up their tea because the shelves had been stripped, what choices where they left with? Dom, his wife, family and friends set up a charity to try to help, they connected people, raised money and awareness as well as providing true help to those in need through HEROES.

I enjoyed the audiobook it gave a new insight into the virus, one that hasn't been discussed in length yet, I suspect we will see a number of this kind of book but maybe not another where the author has done quite as much as Dom has.

Right now the end is not in sight, a second wave it coming for us and we need people like Dom fighting on the side of the nation.

I was beyond surprised when I saw this book on Netgalley that a book about the current COVID pandemic was already out and being published.

Dominic Pimenta is a doctor in London who specializes in cardiology and he watched the rise of COVID in England and was eventually enlisted to help at his hospital with the COVID patients and was a front line worker as the first wave hit London.

I appreciated listening to a book about the pandemic that took place in a different country and listen to their criticisms of the response of their government and know that no on responded to this pandemic swiftly or accurately.

My one criticism of the book was at times his voice was monotone and he lost the feeling of his story. I didn't have this feeling the entire time I was reading, just in and out and at times.

Duty of Care is a deeply personal account from Dr Dominic Pimenta and follows the unfolding events from the beginning of 2020 right up to August. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read this book at first, as I thought it could be quite heavy and too close to home. Dr Pimenta narrates the audiobook himself, his soft delivery is very soothing to listen to. Throughout the lockdown I tried to get the balance right of reading the news daily without reading too much and finding it overwhelming. This book helped me understand the situation from someone dealing with it on the front line of the medical side of things, rather than how the media and government chose to show it, which I think is a better account than what I could have read about online on a day-to-day basis.

The book was well-written, especially considering its fast turnaround in the publishing timescale. I thought each point was well articulated, stating why things were problems from a medical perspective, how they could have been solved better, and what we need to do going forward. There were lots of medical terms throughout, all of which were well explained to give the reader an understanding. I really felt the frustrations he felt through the lack of help that was provided all round, and how this had such an impact on his home life and safety of those around him. @livs_little_library (Instagram) review summed this up perfectly: The NHS were fighting an invisible enemy without knowing where it was and who it was really targeting and not knowing how to kill it. The government allowed this enemy to walk onto our doorsteps before putting up defensives and our death rate really shows that.

I can’t get over the fact that whilst working in the ICU in the middle of a pandemic, Dr Pimenta was still coming home and working through his spare time to set up charities to help NHS workers for basic necessities, not only to do their work, but to survive- ranging from PPE to fighting for food supplies whilst the panic buying was at its height. What a phenomenal man and we can only thank him and the NHS staff for all they have done!

This will be the first of many books about the pandemic, but I’m glad I was able to read it at this point in time. It’s an important reminder and time capsule of 2020 and what people in the NHS in particular have had to work through. I hope books and resources like this are used going forward to prevent growing Covid cases worldwide.

Thank you to NetGalley for an audiobook version of Duty of Care.

When I got this book I had the ask myself if I was mentally read for such a book in the middle of a pandemic but I have no regrets. Duty if care is a first hand account of Dr Dominic Pimenta who found himself in the front lines of the covid-19 crisis . We are walked through his experience on the onset of Covid-19,his family life and his experience pushing the government to enforce a lockdown. Through it , I had to fight tears because it was an emotional ride. I wanted to hug every essential worker that stood on the front lines . Huge thanks to the publisher for my audiobook arc

I absolutely love the donation aspect of this book, and the fact that Dr. Pimenta is sharing his first-hand experience of the early days of the pandemic. The book is eye opening, educational, emotional, and, frankly, a necessary reminder of the horror the pandemic put on health care workers. Thank you, Dr. Pimenta!

I listened to this as an audiobook, it’s narrator is the author himself which makes it much more personal, especially given the subject.
It’s a thoroughly eye opening insight into the Covid 19 pandemic at its very worst in an ICU at a London hospital.

Dr Dominic Pimenta is a hospital doctor who is working in Intensive Care at the height of the Covid pandemic.
He is also an activist, starting a charity to support the NHS, getting vital supplies of personal protective equipment for staff as well as services such as counselling to support them.
He is a husband and the father of young children, desperate to protect them.
And he is angry. He is desperate that it won’t ‘all have been for naught’ and that we learn lessons from the government’s many mistakes.
I really enjoyed listening to this. It charts the pandemic but also gives such a personal perspective that is easy to miss in the public narrative.
Above all, Dr Pimenta is so principled and positive, putting himself out there to be the change that is so badly needed.
This is personal and inspirational. Listen to it and heed its warnings.

A fascinating view point of the covid-19 pandemic. I was immediately impressed with this book, yes we have all got our own experience of this pandemic and lockdown but i have really enjoyed listening to Dr Dominic Pimenta’s take on the events and how this played out for him, in his job as a cardiologist and a frontline worker and in his home life as a family man. I found the personal feel to this book is what really made it a success, yes there are statistics and a fair bit of medical terminology but that doesn’t overtake the Dr’s personal views and experiences. It is the perfect combination of both.
The added extras of the Audiobook were that it was narrated brilliantly by Dr Pimenta himself, again adding to the really personal feel of the book and secondly the Q and A’s at the end of each chapter giving that added detail or explanation, meaning the reader/listener has a deeper understanding.
I am looking forward to returning to this book again once covid-19 is further back in our memories; to reminisce on how devastating the whole thing was at the time, how we overcame the bad time’s and to compare with how things will be (hopefully a lot brighter)

Duty of Care is a deeply personal account of Dr Dominic Pimenta, a doctor for the British NHS. Not only was he fighting the virus on the frontlines in intensive care units, he was also a vocal advocate for early lockdowns and taking it upon himself to reach the public through social media and start a charity to help fellow healthcare workers amid the COVID-19 crisis.
I listened to the audiobook format, which was engaging and well-paced. Pimenta does a fantastic job narrating and telling his story.
This book provides a lot of insight into the healthcare profession from a number of perspectives and I highly recomend it, especially as proceeds from the sale of Duty of Care are donated to the HEROES charity Pimenta founded to assist healthcare workers in need.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ALC.

I’ve read quite a few medical biographies recently and thought I’d leave it a little while before starting a new one, but when I saw this one written by an NHS doctor during the COVID-19 pandemic I was intrigued enough to give it a go!

Dr Pimenta recalls his experience of the early days of the pandemic, working in ICU and his charitable endeavours to support frontline workers as the situation escalated.

I found Dr Pimenta’s account of the beginning of the pandemic particularly affective. While he is only recounting events that happened at the beginning of this year, it feels like such a long time ago now! Like myself, Dr Pimenta found himself ahead of public opinion and governmental policy. Reliving those days surrounded by people (some of them friends or otherwise well respected) denying or ignorant to the seriousness of the events unfolding along with a government that was slow to take any action was difficult, almost like revisiting a trauma. Until I read this book I don’t think I’d taken any time to stop and reflect on this, with the situation changing almost daily it’s been a case of just trying to keep adapting and moving forward.

Dr Pimenta does a fantastic job of recounting the emotion of the time while also relating the facts and data of the virus in an easy, digestible way. I also found the brief mention of his past experience with chief medical advisor, Chris Whitty, of interest. These days It’s hard to imagine Professor Whitty not submerged in government work and in a scenario outside of the daily briefings, so to know a little about him as a doctor and teacher added another layer to his character.

As the book progresses, it reads more like a disaster novel than an account of true events!

The second half of the book focuses more on Dr Pimenta’s personal and professional response to the pandemic. Moving from his speciality to working on ICU, he was thrown into unfamiliar territory. Alongside this comes the fear for his personal safety as well as for his friends and family. Dr Pimenta didn’t stop there though, and along with his wife and others he was able to draft in he set up the charity HEROES. With the charity he aimed to support NHS staff during this time, promoting his campaign through the media, looking into initiative ways to overcome the PPE shortage and connecting organisations that could support each other. I felt quite exhausted after reading all that Dr Pimenta and his family/friends/colleagues achieved throughout this time but so thankful there are people out there who are willing to put in the time, energy and resources to do so much good.

I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Dr Pimenta himself. While it is clear this is not an area of speciality for him it felt appropriate to hear it straight from him given how personal the book is and he did a fine job of it.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the authors for an advanced readers copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.