From ‘Heroes’ to Disposable Material: A Rapid Media Analysis of the Representation of Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed health systems worldwide. The UK has been greatly affected during the pandemic, and healthcare workers (HCWs) have faced multiple challenges delivering care. Additionally, the media played a key role in disease surveillance, communicating health information to the wider population and shaping the public’s perceptions and behaviours. Aim: The aim of this review was to explore the perceptions and experiences of HCWs in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic as represented by the media. Methods: A rapid review of published newspaper articles was carried out by searching the LexisNexis database and handsearching articles. Included articles were published in the UK, in English, from November 2019 – March 2021 and focused on HCWs’ experiences and the COVID-19 response strategy. Data from included articles were extracted through a form developed in REDCap and analysed using framework analysis and the RADaR technique. The PRISMA checklist was used to guide the reporting of the methods and results. Results: In total, 281 articles were reviewed. The main themes identified were workforce shortages, communication breakdown, misrepresentation of HCWs’ experiences and neglecting HCWs. HCWs advocated for support and protection, including regular testing, adequate provision of PPE, priority vaccination and recognition of their efforts. Conclusion: This review highlighted the importance of focusing on the voices and experiences of HCWs during the pandemic. Media articles can be used in research to capture the concerns of HCWs in a timely way and guide policy making decisions.Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.