Former government medical officer marks pandemic’s fifth anniversary with talk at UCL

Sir Jonathan, who shot to fame during the pandemic because of his ability to explain highly complicated scientific concepts to a TV audience in plain English, spoke at the ‘Communicating in a Crisis: Lessons Learned Five Years After Covid’ event, convened by UCL Public Policy on Wednesday (March 12).

In his keynote speech, Sir Jonathan spoke candidly about the personal toll of his role as Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO). He reflected on the challenge of maintaining public trust while delivering complex and evolving scientific information.

The event brought together a panel of experts made up of Professor Susan Michie, Director of the UCL Centre for Behaviour Change, Professor Jack Stilgoe from UCL Science and Technology Studies, Professor Alice Roberts from the University of Birmingham, Dr Cath Haddon from the Institute for Government and Dr Philip Ball, former editor of the journal Nature, to discuss what the Covid pandemic has revealed to us about how people behave in a crisis, and what policymakers need to understand in order to communicate with the public during emergencies.

Sir Jonathan told the rapt audience: “Communication is about what people hear. You are looking for that lightbulb moment when your audience goes: ‘Yes, I get that now.’”

During his time as DCMO, when he often fronted the Government’s live televised 5pm daily press conferences, he memorably used analogies to explain to the British public what was happening as events unfolded at breakneck speed.

Tapping into his love of football to explain scientific developments, he recalled his famous November 2020 press conference where he explained the development of a COVID-19 vaccine in terms of a penalty shootout, saying they (the Government and scientists) had “got the first one [penalty] in”, showing the goalkeeper (the virus) could be beaten.

Despite the pressures of daily media briefings, he said he never considered stepping down, even when political controversies, such as Dominic Cummings’ lockdown breach, threatened public confidence.

“I faced a moral dilemma about staying in the role given the behaviour of some ministers,” he said, but added that his “red lines” weren’t crossed and he didn't get to the point where he felt he shouldn’t “continue to serve”.

He reflected on his own journey in science communication, recalling his early days as a doctor in Nottinghamshire. He said: “A miner came in with a broken leg. I told him it was a serious fracture, and he asked, ‘Can I go home now?’ I realised he didn’t understand what ‘fracture’ meant.” He said the experience had shaped how he explains things because “understanding matters”.

He became known affectionately as JVT and reflecting on why the public connected with him, he said partly it was because he shared personal experiences.

He mentioned transforming into a football fan on Saturdays, having a beloved ginger cat and emphasising his military ties. He added that one of his role models was Ian McDonald, the Ministry of Defence spokesman during the Falklands War, who delivered consistent messages with authenticity and was a reassuring presence.

He told the audience: “His delivery was the same whether it was good or bad news. He was straight-talking, empathetic and played it with a straight bat. I determined that I wanted to do something similar. You need a formula and to be comfortable in your own skin with using that formula.”

Following his speech, the panel considered what governments and policy professionals could learn from the experiences of the pandemic and what support we give scientists when communicating complex and often conflicting evidence to the public.

Professor Stilgoe said: “COVID-19 provided the most extraordinary case study about what it means to be a scientist and what it means to be an expert, showcasing this wider role that scientists can be thrust into.

“We don’t support our scientists to do that wider role very well. Media training might be the extent of the support we give them.”

The panel answered questions from member of the audience. One was whether there were any lessons to be learned from the pandemic in terms of climate change.

Professor Michie, who was a member of both the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and also Independent SAGE, which was a similar group but unaffiliated to government, said: “I think being able to have places where the public can ask questions and get honest answers is really important.”

As the discussion concluded, one key message emerged: policymakers must continue to bridge the gap between science and the public to build resilience for future crises.

Professor Geraint Rees, UCL Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement), said: “It was a great honour to have Professor Van-Tam speak at UCL about his experiences of working in government at the peak of the pandemic.

“The event really highlighted the importance of getting reliable, independent evidence in front of policymakers, so they can understand the issues and develop effective solutions.

“We are committed to building stronger connections between our world-leading expertise and public services and conversations like this play a really important role in strengthening that relationship.”

The event, which was held a day after the fifth anniversary of the World Health Organisation declaring COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020, was held at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health.

The panel discussion and Q&A were chaired by Karen Campbell-White, UCL’s Director of Strategic Communications.

Links

• UCL Public Policy
• YouTube recording of the event
• UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health
• Professor Susan Michie
• Professor Jack Stilgoe
• Professor Alice Roberts
• Dr Cath Haddon
• Dr Philip Ball

Image

• Professor Jonathan Van-Tam speaking at UCL. Credit: Lucy Pope. 

Media contact

Nick Hodgson

nick.hodgson [at] ucl.ac.uk

+44 (0)7769 240209