Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
William: Our debt to NHS heroes
Honour for staff on Covid frontline
PRINCE William praised NHS frontline heroes for their “tremendous dedication and sacrifice” as he and Kate named them the Pride of Britain.
The royals paid heartfelt tribute to health workers all over the UK as they made a surprise visit to a hospital especially to present staff with the prestigious award “on behalf of a grateful nation”.
After being introduced by GMB presenter Kate Garraway outside Britain’s oldest hospital, St Barts, in the City of London, William and Kate presented the Special Recognition award to six staff representing all their NHS colleagues.
William said: “We cannot thank you enough. On behalf of a grateful nation, it is a tremendous honour for Catherine and I to present this Special Recognition award to the army of dedicated NHS staff.”
BRAVERY
Hundreds of NHS staff have died from the coronavirus and many more have been infected.
William said: “The devastating impact of the pandemic has reminded us as a nation of how much we owe to the thousands of NHS workers who have gone far beyond the call of duty this year.
“They’ve worked tirelessly, with humility and compassion, in the most challenging of circumstances, putting their own lives on the line to help others.”
St Barts, founded in 1123, has treat ed patients through the Black Death, Spanish Flu, and now Covid-19 pandemics, and William said: “It is fitting we are at Britain’s oldest hospital to thank and celebrate NHS staff and honour them with a Pride of Britain Award.”
The award, nominated by thousands of members of the public, is the climax of the Dailym Dailymirror’s Pride of Brita Britain Awards 2020, in partnership pa with TSB, which is to be scree screened on Sunday on IT ITV at 9pm. Th The Duchess said sh she and William w were “inspired” b by frontline w workers’ “stories of br bravery and selflessne lessness” during the pandemic. She said: “Many had to leave their families for weeks on end, some have come out of retirement to help, others have stepped into new roles to play their part in the fight against coronavirus.
“Their hard work still goes on and we remain indebted to them.”
Porter Helder Ladim, physiotherapist Charlotte Carmichael, Intensive Treatment Unit matron Keisha Mills, theatre nurse Martha Sarpong, ITU consultant Dr Simon
Finney, and health care assistant Marion Jones were thrilled to be chosen to receive the award on behalf of all NHS staff. The Duchess asked them : “What were the biggest challenges for you?”
Helder, a porter at Barnet Hospital, replied: “We had a lot of deaths in the beginning. I remember we had 10 in one hour.”
His colleague Martha said: “We were able to support them and hold their hands and see them
Devastating impact of the pandemic has reminded us how much we owe the NHS PRINCE WILLIAM PRESENTING PRIDE OF BRITAIN AWARD
through. We never leave any patients to die alone.” Charlotte, a respiratory care physiotherapist at the Royal Free Hospital, said: “Wearing PPE and trying to rehabilitate patients is hot, sweaty and often we could be in there for four or five hours. It’s quite hard.”
Prince William, a former air ambulance pilot, asked if the six had appreciated the weekly Clap for Carers.
Martha said: “I felt humbled and very proud to be part of the NHS.”
Charlotte, 39, said it was “incredibly flattering” to be one of those receiving the award on behalf of the NHS.
She recalled arriving at work one day in March, at the start of the pandemic, saying: “Gradually across the day I started getting a ver y different feeling from before.
“The numbers of patients were growing rapidly, we had expanded from our intensive care unit to the floor below, and had begun taking over operating theatres and other spaces.”
Charlotte’s role is crucial for helping patients to breathe on their own again and to speak once more.
She said: “The first lady we were able to get her voice back, she’d not seen her daughter for two or three weeks, she hadn’t been able to speak to her by phone because of the breathing tube. When she spoke again there was not a dry eye in the house.”
Mum-of-three Martha chatted about balancing work with childcare. She said: “Kate asked me, ‘How did you cope with home schooling?’
“I said, ‘Thank God my husband is
a teacher so he took care of it’.” Like many of her colleagues, Martha comforted patients and held their hands as they passed away because family were not allowed to be there.
She said: “It is hard to talk about it. I find it so sad to think of the family not being able to say goodbye.”
Marion, from St Barts, said: “I was a bit scared at the start because a lot of staff were ill with Covid. But I thought, I have to keep going and keep doing it.”
Keisha, 45, praised her colleagues for their work during the pandemic. She said: “We saw a lot of courageous
staff who did what was necessary.” Prince William told the six: “The award is for you guys, well done, and big thanks to you and all your colleagues for the tremendous dedication and sacrifice you have made yourselves through this very bizarre, very difficult year.”
TV presenter Kate has begun work on an ITV documentary about the impact of coronavirus on husband Derek and the nation. A source said: “It is likely to make emotional viewing when it airs early next year.”