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EXCLUSIVE: "It Started As a Normal Day In The Office..."

Monday 11th October 2010

It started as a normal day in the office - but quickly turned into a day which a Chesterfield born Doctor described as one on which the medical profession showed itself at it’s finest.

7/7 2005 saw Matlock GP Dr Peter Holden at his offices at the BMA in Tavistock Square where he spends two days a week. He shouldn't have been there at all, having been invited to see the refurbished offices at the Law Society, but, on count of a meeting with officials, had changed his plans.

Sitting with colleagues on the third floor, he was aware that something was unfolding - colleagues had reported that there were problems with London Transport and an Air Ambulance was circling close by, obviously looking for somewhere to land.

Within minutes everything had gone 'salmon pink' as the pressure wave from the No 30 bus being blown up hit.

In January 2011, Dr Holden will be at the Inquest which has begun this week, to give his account of the events that day. Findings will centre on how the 52 innocent victims died and whether more could have been done and whether the attacks could have been prevented. The inquest is expected to last five months.

The Chesterfield Post caught up with Dr Holden just before he returned to London.

Dr Holden has vast experience in pre hospital medicine, spending a large amount of time doing shifts with various air ambulance teams around the country. He's the BMA's lead negotiator on Swine flu and a highly regarded medic. He is one of only a few Doctors in the country to have completed courses on biological, nuclear and Chemical attack response.

He was therefore well placed to deal with what was put before him that day. His colleagues made it clear they were following his orders and he tells how his first point of call was to the Library in the BMA HQ where he knew he'd find a book, 'British Critical Management Master', only to find that, after years of seeing it gathering dust on the shelf, it had been moved that day!

So, it was down to Plan B - sit for two minutes in a corner and write down what he thought he'd need.

He recalls the scene outside as being 'chaos'. "There is", he says, "always a period of time where all involved need to get a sense of direction. There was no sense of horror, or fear."

He's used to dealing with roadside casualties, just a need to make clinical decisions. He remembers that he walked round with his hands in his pockets, knowing that he needed to be a clinical leader, fearing that as soon as he rolled his sleeves up he would become a 'Doctor' and the organization of the scene would be lost.

Dr Holden told us that all the training he's had has taught him to prepare for a scene that would have commanders and organized facilities. However, this unexpected event meant that only office medical supplies were on hand - just one bag of stuff. People were being brought in to be treated on table tops, used as stretchers and treatment was taking place in the inner Courtyard of the BMA Offices, as it was safer than anywhere else in case another blast took place.

The Doctors treating the casualties were vaguely aware of what was happening around the city throughout all of this, but with everyone shutting down their mobiles as a priority - the radioactivity could set off a second blast - communication was non existent.

THE TIMESCALE

Dr Holden remembers getting downstairs to the scene at just before 10am.

The first external person arrived at 10:10am, an Ambulance Technician who was quickly dispatched to get more supplies.

At 10:20am the back doors opened at the BMA and help arrived in the shape of the Royal London Medics.

Dr Holden who, as he remembers, was wearing pin stripe trousers and a white shirt greeted them. They had communication equipment and were able to relay the message that there was a functioning casualty station that just needed supplies.

The first ambulance arrived soon after with an Ambulance Commander following behind, enabling a grease board to go up detailing casualty priority and an evacuation planned.

The area was cleared by 11:30am, leaving causalities who had been taken to a next-door hotel to be triaged by Dr Holden.

The only remaining priority was finding beds for the staff at the Offices, as London was gridlocked, and the Tavistock Square area was to become a forensic scene for 12 days, with spirit, Dr Holden informed us that offices were found so that the British Medical Journal could still be published as normal - "The Luftwaffe hadn't stopped us publishing , neither would they."

SO... WHY DID IT GO SO WELL?

Dr Holden paid tribute to the caliber of the team around him, mainly older doctors who had the breadth of training and skill to call on.

Ironically Dr Holden had spent 9/11 watching events unfold in New York with the same group of Doctors by his side - they had talked over what their response would be to such an incident and remembered that on the day.

Only later did Dr Holden realize that the Courtyard where the treatments had taken place was in fact the site of the Memorial to Doctors killed in WWI and WWII.
"I hope we did them proud." said Dr Holden.

By personal invite Dr Holden is now a member of the Emergency Incident Advisory group, one of three medics from the BMA to be honoured in this way.

He admits he's been unable to travel on a London bus since, and it took the group at the BMA a year to travel on the tube again.

He awaits with interest the outcome of the Inquest.

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