Dr Graham Offer (MBChB Medicine, 1993)

Alumnus Graham Offer (MBChB Medicine, 1993) is Head of Plastic Surgery at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. He says that as his colleagues in Intensive Treatment Units (ITUs) across the country battle COVID-19; directly, he and his surgical team continue to respond to emergency injuries as they happen.

“As we have no access to a test that gives an immediate result, we have to treat all patients as COVID-positive. This means donning and doffing PPE, which adds a good hour or so onto every case,” Graham said.

As Europe has just marked the 75th anniversary of VE Day, he also offered the sobering reminder that plastic surgery grew out of facial reconstruction for soldiers injured in the First World War, and was developed further through treating airmen who suffered burns at the Battle of Britain in WW2.

“We’ve been told that we’re fighting a war against COVID-19, but this is one war where surgical skills can’t help,” he said.