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Minute of silence to pay tribute to NHS colleagues

Posted: 28 April 2020

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At 11am on Tuesday 28 April 2020, staff at hospital sites across West Hertfordshire fell silent to remember, honour and pay tribute to NHS staff who have sadly died during the coronavirus pandemic.

A poignant memorial service, held at Watford Football Club’s Vicarage Road stadium, enabled around 500 staff from neighbouring Watford General Hospital to pay their respects to friends and colleagues who have lost their lives to COVID-19. The service included a minute of silence which was followed by an emotional minute of applause as staff celebrated the lives of colleagues, whose names and photos were projected on large screens around the stadium.

Staff from West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which has hospitals in Hemel Hempstead, St Albans and Watford, are also able to visit a peaceful memorial room to commemorate colleagues. The room provides a calm space for staff to take a moment away from the wards and has a book of remembrance where they can leave messages.

Chief people officer Paul da Gama said: "The death of any member of staff is a tragedy and we send our heartfelt condolences to the friends and families of all NHS staff who’ve sadly died during the pandemic. The compassion and camaraderie we’re seeing across our workforce during these challenging times is absolutely heart-warming."

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Notes

  1. For more information, please contact the communications team on: 01923 436280 or email: westherts.communications@nhs.uk. For out of hours media enquiries please call the Watford General Hospital switchboard on 01923 244366 and ask for the on call communications manager.
  2. West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves people from across Hertfordshire, north London and further afield. It operates from three hospitals; Watford General, St Albans City and Hemel Hempstead. The trust sees around 600,000 patients a year and is one of the largest employers locally, with around 5,000 staff and volunteers.
  3. For more information about our hospitals, visit www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk. You can also join our followers on Twitter (twitter.com/westhertsNHS) and find us on Facebook (facebook.com/westhertsNHS).