As the nation prepares to Clap for Our Carers again tonight, today we pay tribute to more of your NHS heroes - and also to people in the community volunteering to support frontline staff.
Chloe Lee praised the team she works with at Boots pharmacy at Queens Way in Ipswich. She said: “They are working non-stop to get patients medication ready on time and out for delivery by our wonderful delivery drivers. The workload has tripled and is non-stop, they keep going and don’t give up... stars!”
Chloe added: “The pharmacy is working increasingly hard to keep all patients’ medication going, as well as being delivered to them. Having had such a massive amount of scripts coming through every day, they work so hard and quick to get their workload complete.
Fran Noble said via Facebook: “Caroline Wolton, the amazing paramedic, is godmother to my youngest daughter and an awesome friend. Such a selfless person, always striving to help others, whether at work or play. Thank you for making this world a better place. Stay safe, we love you.”
READ MORE - Good neighbours helping during the lockdownAlso via our Facebook page, Janet Smith paid tribute to her daughter Victoria Smith, working at Ipswich Hospital, and said: “We are so proud of you, Vicki.”
And Nicole Bemrose praised Sharon Upton, for “working for the NHS for 30 years at Ipswich Hospital.”
Emmajayne Watkins said her hero was “My husband Malcolm Watkins, who has housed two paramedics that have been transferred away from their families. He gave up his flat for free so they could come and help our NHS. True hero.”
Maria Cook said her NHS heroes were the Service by Emergency Volunteers (SERV Suffolk & Cambridgeshire). They deliver blood products and breast milk free of charge to the NHS every night, weekend and bank holiday, and have stepped up further to respond to the current crisis.
SERV say on their Facebook page: “This Easter bank holiday, our responders performed 21 deliveries, all free to the NHS.
“Thank you to all of our members who gave up their time this weekend, whether it be performing deliveries, being on call to answer any potential calls, acting as controller or supporting the charity in any way.”
SERV’s team has recently expanded its service by providing extended hours to Ipswich Hospital, to aid in transferring blood products and patient samples between two of their sites.
READ MORE - Choose from Amazon wishlists to help NHS heroesWhile many people in the community are busy raising much-needed funds for the NHS, others are helping to make items of personal protective equipment (PPE) to help meet demand.
Karen Cope paid tribute to the work of the Felixstowe Scrubbers group, who are making scrubs for NHS and carers.
The group’s Facebook page says: “The Felixstowe Scrubbers are a group of over 20 ladies who are making scrubs from their homes for our brave troops on the frontline, the NHS. We heard that they were in desperate need due to the coronavirus.”
READ MORE - Follow the latest coronavirus news in your area hereKaren Banham organised the group with her friends and volunteers on social media, and they have raised almost £2,000 to pay for materials. To find out more about their work, search for Felixstowe Scrubbers on Facebook or visit the group’s JustGiving page.
As well as praising Felixstowe Scrubbers, Karen Cope also praised other people in Felixstowe who are making PPE. She said: “Liz Brown is making masks, and Scott Fairburn and Matt Read are making visors and mask straps. Felixstowe people are being amazing!”
Scott Fairburn said that Matt Read had set up a group of volunteers with 3D printers and others to produce visors. “I’m part of his group. I have also been doing the straps on top of visor parts to help where I can.”
Some people commenting via Facebook wanted to praise the work of everyone within the NHS. Karen Abbott said: “They are doing such a great job, saving lives whilst putting their own lives at risk. If this doesn’t deserve a pay rise, I don’t know what will. Heroes.”
And Owen Southwood said: “Every NHS worker is a superhero, and always has been. Such a scandal they are not getting the equipment or tests they deserve.”
• We want to hear about more of your NHS and community heroes. Send your message, the name and details about the individual or group you would like us to spotlight to newsroom@archant.co.uk, if possible including a photo.
READ MORE - Sign up here to receive our coronavirus news alerts and join our Suffolk Coronavirus Updates Facebook group here.
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