Dacorum doctor contributes to musical tribute to the NHS

A hospital consultant from Flaunden has recorded his contribution to a musical thank you to the NHS.

Maxton Pitcher, who is a also a classically trained violinist, took time off treating Covid-19 patients at Northwick Park Hospital in London, to record his part for the special YouTube video.

The Rainbow Project includes four fellow musicians from the European String Teachers Association who call themselves the Self Isolation String Quartet.

The 56-year-old says the music started at the hospital when one of his colleagues brought in an electric piano and started playing in the atrium to lift the mood in the hospital at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak.

He said: "We were just playing to try and make people smile, music has a way of doing that.

"One of the A&E ward sisters had been in hospital for quite a few weeks with Covid-19, and when she was discharged we played as a celebration for her, since then we have seen hundreds of patients discharged home.

"We wanted to lift the atmosphere, it was hard, at the beginning the hospital was at the epicentre of the pandemic, we wanted to create a better atmosphere.

"The special YouTube video will be out tonight, it has been directed by the CEO of European String Teachers Association, Philip Aird.

"It is a unique performance of Over The Rainbow, a musical tribute to all NHS and health care workers for their enormous skill, courageous effort and sacrifice in treating patients with COVID-19 infection.

"I think it will be an emotional piece. It is a poignant reminder of the importance of music to comfort and raise our spirits in testing times such as these and provide hope for the future."

The gastroenterologist who works at St Mark’s Hospital, part of London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, credits music with making him a better doctor saying the emotion needed to play an instrument helps him better empathise with patients.

He used to play in the Herts County Orchestra and at Cambridge and Oxford Universities performing alongside some of the country's most talented young musicians.

He said: "Music can instantly change people’s state of mind and has great healing qualities that touch something inside all of us.

"It’s an essential counterbalance to the stresses of frontline medicine.

“The great thing about music is you can simply lose yourself in it and I still love the buzz of playing to a live audience.

"To have been able to combine this with medicine over 37 years has been an enormous pleasure and privilege."

Maxton currently plays in the European Doctors Orchestra and have been Concertmaster for our concerts in London and Budapest. I also play with Haydn Chamber Orchestra in Islington and Bridgewater Sinfonia/Chiltern Chamber Choir in Berkhamsted.

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