The Long Shot: The Inside Story of the Race to Vaccinate Britain

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When we get past the introductory chapters, we get a really good insight into how by adopting a venture capitalist business type approach with a clear focus on outputs - in contrast to the Civil Service's focus on process – the vaccine task force was a success. Bingham’s eclectic team secured the first vaccine doses administered in the West, saving thousands of lives in the UK as new variants struck.

The Long Shot is published as readers appear to have tired of Covid-19 and the miraculous vaccines have become more of a seasonal chore.

With regards to the briefings against Bingham, one of the revelations I found most shocking was how Lee Cain, the Number 10 Director of Communications was briefing against her and the vaccine task force, despite the vaccine project being a flagship initiative of the Johnson government and one that was initiated and championed by Boris himself. On 3 April 2020, Kate Bingham was told that the likelihood of any Covid-19 vaccine working was 15% at best. It also demonstrates how science and the effective application of science are critical to solving the world’s problems, and that these solutions will only be delivered with a razor-sharp focus on outcomes rather than on following procedures.

The author proceeds will be donated to the new university The New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) and early years education, development and advocacy charity Kindred Squared. A blueprint of how industry, academia and government can work together to address a question of global importance, with lessons for other future crises. For more details, please consult the latest information provided by Royal Mail's International Incident Bulletin.An incisive behind-the-scenes look at the challenges Bingham faced in her role… The authors combine a lucid explanation of the scientific breakthroughs needed to create the first Covid vaccine with an insider look at the politics that hampered the taskforce’s efforts. Instead, they carried on with usual Government bureaucracy and inefficiency, with civil servants and politicians spending time protecting their 'fiefdoms' and promoting their own interests. The author warns that information spinners are a vast workforce in Whitehall; they are numerous and expensive and an absolute drag on efficiency and exist to spread misinformation if that suits the political purposes of the departments in which they reside.

I spoke with her frequently through 2020 as we battled logistical headwinds and the media storms in development of the Oxford vaccine and was always better for our chats, absorbing the positive energy that she emanates and benefiting from her wisdom. From a cottage miles away from Westminster, Bingham juggled vaccine suppliers, Whitehall, the media circus – and her daughter’s exams. Of course, having a working vaccine is only part of the story, it also has to be manufactured and administered which presented their own challenges as described by Bingham. An excellent read… Capturing the exceptional pace and energy of everyone involved in discovering and producing effective therapies against Covid-19. I fear it's impossible to reconcile the needs of government - paralysis inducing transparency, accountability and risk reduction - with private sector practice, which has similar needs but somehow much less paralysing.As an outsider rooted in business, she offers strong and specific recommendations for transforming government. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products.