First NHS midwife dies as virus hits health staff
THe family of a midwife who died after testing positive for coronavirus have said their ‘hearts are broken’.
Lynsay Coventry, 54, is the first serving nHS midwife in england whose death has been publicly confirmed, the Princess alexandra Hospital Trust in Harlow, essex, said.
Miss Coventry died in Chelmsford on Thursday. Her family said she had ‘followed her dream’ and she was ‘proud’ to have worked for ten years as a midwife.
Paying tribute to the ‘ wellrespected’ nHS worker, they said: ‘Our hearts are broken at the loss of our loving, wonderful and caring mum, sister, daughter and grandmother.
The family added: ‘We each know how much she loved and cherished us. Her love for us all was unfailing and her strength in the way she cared and supported us will fill our memories.’
at least ten nHS workers, including nurses, doctors and healthcare assistants, have died during the coronavirus outbreak. a long- serving nurse was last night confirmed as the latest frontline nHS worker to have died after contracting coronavirus.
Tributes were paid to grandmother Liz Glanister, 68, who friends said continued working at aintree beyond University retirement Hospital due in Liverpool to her love for the job.
Miss Glanister, who died on Friday, was seen as a ‘work mum’ by many colleagues due to her experience and continuous mentoring of younger staff. Former colleague roxy Spencer wrote online: ‘God bless Liz Glanister... what a lovely person you were.’ a nursing assistant who died hours after falling ill while treating virus patients did not have access to protective equipment, his mother has said. John Alagos, 23, told colleagues he was feeling unwell on Friday but was asked to complete a gruelling 12-hour shift at Watford General Hospital. The nHS worker, who had no underlying health conditions, died at his family home in the Hertfordshire town the next morning. Mr alagos is thought to be the youngest frontline nHS worker to have died after contracting Covid-19. His mother, Gina Gustilo, yesterday told the Mail the family was awaiting the results of a coronavirus test.
The 49-year-old said her son had suffered from a headache and high temperature. Shortly after telling her son to take some paracetamol, she said he had turned blue in his bed.
She called 999, but ambulance staff were unable to save him. Miss Gustilo, an nHS mental health nurse, said colleagues raised concerns that her son was not given adequate personal protective equipment (PPe). ‘ They wear PPe, but not totally protective of the mouth,’ she said.
Tracey Carter, chief nurse at the hospital, said staff were given the correct level of protection.
Tributes were also paid yesterday to nHS health care assistant Glen Corbin, who came out of retirement to work during the coronavirus outbreak.
Mr Corbin, 59, from Brent, northwest London, spent 25 years working at the Park royal Centre for Mental Health and died last week after returning to help with mental services and rehab patients.
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