Queen’s Hospital Burton colleagues receive royal call of support
NHS staff at Queen’s Hospital Burton received a special telephone call from Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who offered their thanks to the teams responding to the coronavirus outbreak.
Doctors and nurses at the hospital, which is part of University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, spoke to The Duke and Duchess about the effects of Covid-19 on their professional and personal lives.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also offered their condolences to all the staff at the hospital following the sad passing of Mr Amged El-Hawrani. Mr El-Hawrani was an ENT Consultant and Associate Clinical Director at the hospital who sadly died from Covid-19 at the weekend.
During the call with staff at Queen’s Hospital Burton, The Duke of Cambridge said:
“We’d just like to say from the two of us how proud we are of all of you and how amazingly you are all doing under extreme circumstances. I know all of you see this as your job and that you get on with it, but this is a different level and you are doing an incredible job.
Royal Call - Queen's hospital Burton from UHDB Communications on Vimeo.
“The whole country is proud of you so thank you for everything you’re doing and all the hours you are putting in.”
Gavin Boyle, Chief Executive at UHDB, who hosted the call, said: “It has been a tough month for the NHS, especially at our hospitals, so to receive a call from The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was really appreciated.
“The Duke and Duchess heard about the challenges our staff were facing professionally, and also the impact on their home lives. We are all very grateful for their support and for taking the time to speak to colleagues on the front line. This was a real boost for morale.”
The staff present on the call, which took place on Wednesday 1 April, were:
- Dr James Crampton, Queen’s Hospital Medical Director
- Mr Adrian Thompson, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Consultant
- Alice Bloxham, Sister on Ward 4, Covid-19 cohort ward
- Chelsey Stephens, Staff nurse in Paediatrics
- Richard Welch, ITU staff nurse
- Brogan Bishop, newly qualified staff nurse in the Emergency Department
Alice Bloxham, Sister, said: “Until recently, our ward was an Acute Care of the Elderly ward, but now we are caring for patients with Covid-19. This has been a difficult time for all the patients we care for and for the staff working in a very different environment. It was a pleasure to talk to The Duke and Duchess and to be able to explain some of the challenges we face for our patients. Everyone at the hospital appreciates the support they gave us on the call.”