The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Duke and duchess to to host celebration tea at palace
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will celebrate the 73rd anniversary of the NHS with a service of thanksgiving before hosting a tea at Buckingham Palace.
The service at St Paul’s Cathedral will celebrate the NHS’s contribution to the country during the pandemic, reflecting on the work and achievement of health staff, volunteers and carers.
William and Kate will join guests including leading figures in the NHS Covid-19 response, several hundred members of frontline staff, and patients.
Among the congregation will be NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens, matron May Parsons, who administered the first Covid-19 vaccination outside clinical trials, Sam Foster, the nurse who gave the first Oxford
AstraZeneca jab, members of staff who treated the first Covid-19 patients in England, and a number of patients who have been treated for the virus.
Later, William and Kate will host the NHS Big Tea in the gardens of Buckingham Palace to pay tribute to the work of NHS staff who have gone above and beyond in tackling the pandemic.
They will meet staff ranging from respiratory ward nurses, counsellors and care workers, to those working in nonclinical roles including catering managers and housekeeping co-ordinators.
The NHS Big Tea is organised by NHS Charities Together and is a national celebration of the health service.
It offers an opportunity for communities to come together for a moment of reflection and to thank staff and volunteers for the role they have played throughout the pandemic.
The event at Buckingham Palace is just one of thousands of Big Teas taking place today in homes, hospitals, schools and community spaces across the UK.
Alexandra Heys, nurse ward manager in the respiratory high care unit at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The special tea at Buckingham Palace means a lot to NHS staff who have been through so much over the last year, and I feel so honoured to be meeting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today.
“I know from personal experience that the past year has taken a huge toll on NHS staff who have worked incredibly hard to take care of patients during a challenging time.”