The pandemic has focussed attention on the hard work and immense dedication of health workers and particularly the emergency and intensive care units that have responded to and received countless thousands of patients struggling with Covid.

We take these things for granted but an obituary that appeared in the Times earlier this month gave pause for thought. The article remembered the life and achievements of Dr David Williams, the Clinical Director of the Emergency Department at St Thomas Hospital. Dr Williams' experience as an A&E consultant extended to treating the victims of the Clapham Junction rail crash in 1988, the survivors of the Marchioness pleasure steamer disaster in 1989 as well as the victims of various London bombings in the 1990s.

It may seem incredible today, but it was only in 1952 that the first doctor in the UK was given the designation of "Consultant Surgeon in Charge of the Casualty Department and Receiving Room". Until then, casualty departments were staffed and led mainly by non-consultant doctors with surgical backgrounds. Dr Williams’ great achievement was to argue successfully that emergency medicine should be recognised as a distinct branch of medicine with its own specialist training. His efforts led ultimately to the formation of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine which today boasts more than 1,600 consultants.

This was cause for reflection as I walked into my local hospital for my first volunteering session in the Acute Medical Unit, an exciting step along what I hope will be my path to medical school. The AMU provides short term care for patients admitted as an emergency before they are transferred to the relevant specialist wards. One day I hope to be one of the doctors working in a unit like this, or the adjacent A&E department, having benefitted from the specialist training introduced by Dr Williams. For now though, my duties are simple, getting drinks, helping patients make calls to loved ones and fetching and carrying things for the hard-pressed staff.

Rest assured, should you or a loved one find yourselves in AMU I won’t be treating you (yet) but you will be looked after by a highly skilled and qualified doctor. I might make you a nice up of tea though.