Recently, my wife Kim and I were invited to receive our first dose of the Covid vaccination, which we were delighted about – it felt like a very significant moment. Saturday arrived, and it was my turn to stand in the queue outside my GP surgery – a surprisingly quiet queue, with people waiting politely in true British fashion – and it struck me that this was all very straightforward. I think I had expected the process to feel more exciting somehow. The organisation of the vaccination procedure itself was extremely efficient, and after not too lengthy a wait my injection was done, and I returned to my car. All went smoothly and unremarkably. Yet, when I reached the car and prepared to drive home, an unexpected wave of emotion rolled over me and tears sprang to my eyes, stopping me in my tracks, as I processed the fact that freedom and hope were arriving in a new measure. This was momentous – not just for Kim and I – but for millions of people across our nation and the world beyond. Not for the first time, I found myself truly overwhelmed by the wonderful gift that medicine is to the world, and the crucial part that it has played in offering us a way out of this pandemic. Imagine what the world would be like without it. Where would we be right now?

Then, just this last Monday, the roadmap for recovery of society in England and other parts of the UK was published, and as we heard the Prime Minister’s plans, the light at the end of the tunnel somehow seemed brighter and closer. For me personally, this week has felt very different to last week, or indeed most weeks over the past year. Hope is arising!

However, there is no mistaking it, this has been an extremely long tunnel, and navigating the journey has required different skills to the ones we previously used in ‘normal’ life. Some of those skills could serve us well in the future, however, we are undoubtedly now transitioning, and entering into a time of recovery, re-organisation and re-building. It has echoes of the end of World War II where, although the war was over, lots of re-building and recovery were vital to the future of the nation – as my parents and grandparents told me in their stories of times gone by.

So what about the world of healthcare? The end of the crisis may be drawing near, but the workload pressures in healthcare will not be going anywhere fast. Indeed, when people emerge from such periods of prolonged stress and crisis, we know that the need for emotional support often rises. This will be the case not just for healthcare workers, but for society in general. So, who will people turn to in these times for such much-needed help and support? I was listening to a GP on BBC breakfast television today who stated that he is anticipating that a pandemic of anxiety will become evident in our nation very soon, and that he has already seen signs of it in his patients.

Moreover, what resources does Heaven have to offer to help this situation? Well, Peace, Joy, Love, Kindness, Gentleness, Wisdom and Miraculous interventions, to name but a few, and all these are available through the power of the Holy Spirit in every Christian. That is the very heart and purpose of Heaven in Healthcare (HiH) and the crux of our mission: to enable every Christian to be confident that they can make a positive difference in their workplace, and – in this particular season – to help the world on its road to recovery as it transitions out of the Coronavirus pandemic.

This is the very reason that we have been working hard to build the community of HiH; to create resources, share encouragements, restore hope, and build greater faith in our amazing God. We have come a long way in this last year helping people find a way through the darkness of the tunnel. Now, as we come into the light of a new day, it is very important that the resources of HiH are increased, and that awareness of our movement spreads, so that we can benefit more people and input more widely around the world.

We have many new opportunities in front of us to bring heaven to earth, and we need your help and involvement in accomplishing this. One particular example is we are now partnering with Transform Work UK to look at how we can create Heaven in Healthcare workplace groups which will not only provide support for Christians in their workplaces, but also teach them how to positively influence management structures and culture. We are also providing regular opportunities for anyone to join us via online meetings for inspiration, support and training.

So, what can you do to help the growth of this movement? Here are some ideas:

• Tell other people about Heaven in Healthcare and direct them to the website where they can subscribe to receive regular e-mail updates and information about events and resources.
• Register your interest with us in starting a HiH workplace group.
• Help us with a fundraising drive to create sustainable finances for the future of HiH. We are looking for regular giving in addition to one-off gifts, and we will be giving you more details about this soon.

In the meantime, thank you for being part of this movement of God.

Dr Pete Carter