The Christian faith stands or falls on the miracle of Jesus' resurrection. But how do we stand in relation to miracles today, especially as health professionals? Do miraculous healings still happen, can we command them, and how we handle situations where our patients claim to have been healed?
David Randall talks with Steve Fouch about how we can engage with the miraculous as Christians and health professionals.In our fortieth and final voices from the frontline, we talk to Audrey, an intensivist at a Glasgow intensive care unit.
At the sharp end of dealing with COVID-19, she and her team have been working longer hours, with trainees and non-specialists taking on new roles caring for those most seriously affected by the disease. How have she and her team handled the remarkable circumstances in which they have found themselves in the last three months? How has she found Jesus amid this crisis?
This is the last of our special series of voices from the frontline podcasts, but the 1st incision series continues, with a new episode going live next Friday, 29 May.
Esther is a community-based pharmacist, working closely with general practices. With social distancing and shielding, normal dispensing of medicines has changed considerably. What are the challenges, changes and stresses that pharmacy staff facing during lockdown. How is she finding spiritual support, and how can we pray for Esther and other pharmacists and frontline workers at this time.
Esther is an active member of Christians in Pharmacy - a national network for Christians working in and studying all aspects of pharmacy - check out their Facebook Page and their website for more details and to get in touch
Rachael works in NHS prison general practice and is medical director of Integritas Healthcare, a Christian faith-inspired NGO working with detainees in the UK and overseas, particularly in the Philippines.
How has COVID-19 affected detainees and prisons in the UK? How is it affecting the delivery of medical care in prisons in the Philippines? And how is she able to bring spiritual support and wholistic care to prisoners?
You can find out more about the work of Integritas at https://integritas-healthcare.squarespace.com
Rachael is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Manchester. Before the pandemic she was halfway through her neurology placement, but since COVID-19 interrupted her studies, she has been volunteering at the hospital, helping out in practical ways supporting clinical staff. With her studies suspended and the coming months looking really uncertain, how is her faith helping to keep her focused and grounded.
You can read more about CMF's student ministry at https://www.cmf.org.uk/students/
Chelsea is a paediatric critical care nurse who has been re-deployed to an adult ICU caring for COVID-19 patients. What is it like moving from child to adult intensive care? What is it like working twelve-hour shifts in PPE with the most seriously ill COVID-19 patients? How is she processing all she has had to deal with over the last few weeks?
You can read more about CMF's nursing and midwifery ministry at https://www.cmf.org.uk/nurses/
CMF recently produced an edition of our student magazine, nucleus, that focused on the relationship between faith and science. Read it at https://cmf.li/2NmQNRO, which includes links to many other resources on Christianity and science and their long and misunderstood relationship.
CMF Catalyst Teams are local teams of Christian health workers coming together to help unite and equip fellow Christian health professionals live and speak for Christ in their workplaces. We speak to three Catalyst Team leaders from around the UK, Noel, Brian and Angela, about how they are responding as Christians to the particular challenges of COVID-19 in their parts of the country.
You can find out more about Catalyst Teams at https://www.cmf.org.uk/catalyst-teams/
Ella is a redeployed ophthalmology trainee. She has been moved from her normal specialist training post in eye medicine to work on an acute COVID-19 ward, and finds herself having to learn and re-lean a very different set of medical skills while getting to know a totally new clinical team and a new hospital. She was also expecting to get married soon, but has had to cancel it and change major life plans at very short notice. How has her faith shaped her response to the frustrations and changes she is having to juggle at the moment.
See the CMF Juniors pages for more information about CMF's ministry to medical trainees from Foundation Years to Senior Trainees - https://www.cmf.org.uk/juniors/