I talk to our children every day about NHS sacrifices, says Duke
THE DUKE of Cambridge said he talked to his children every day about NHS staff so they understood the “sacrifices” medical workers make treating coronavirus patients.
William’s comments were made during a video call with staff from Homerton University Hospital in East London when he was told events now were “worse than the first wave”.
One senior nurse said queues of people waiting to be vaccinated at the hospital offered hope but the way out of the health crisis was for the public to “stay at home” during the lockdown.
The Duke, joint patron of NHS Charities Together, said: “A huge thank you for all the hard work, the sleepless nights, the lack of sleep, the anxiety, the exhaustion and everything that you are doing.
“We are so grateful. You are all in my thoughts.
“Catherine and I and all the children talk about all you guys every day, so we’re making sure the children understand all the sacrifices all of you are making, so thank you so, so much.”
In the past week, Homerton University Hospital has had its highest number of admissions since the pandemic began, with more than 200 Covid patients being cared for and staff moved to new roles within the hospital to cope with the ongoing pressure on front- line workers.
During the call, William heard from staff about the challenges they face and Dr Carlo Prina, consultant physician and clinical lead for acute ambulatory care, told him: “This is worse than the first wave. I think that’s the first thing we want to say.”
Dr Prina talked in detail about spikes in patient admissions during 2020 and how medical staff were now helping out.
The consultant physician added: “That sounds quite bleak and I don’t want it to sound so bleak but the horror of the situation has been met by an incredible effort of people coming together.”
He went on: “Our medical and nursing workforces have never been more stretched but never been more together as a group, so the cohesiveness, the commitment to patient care is a wonder to behold and it’s a wonderful thing to see.”