The Earl and Countess of Wessex have paid a visit to Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey to mark International Nurses Day.
During their visit, Edward and Sophie were introduced to more than 40 nurses who’ve been recognised for their hard work throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
The royals viewed the hospital’s new wellbeing garden, which was created through donations by the NHS Charities Together trust, Captain Sir Tom Moore’s Fund, and local people. The garden is part of a refurbishment project that plans to update rest areas and other staff facilities.
Edward and Sophie toured the facilities before joining in a tea and cake celebration with nurses who’ve been nominated for recognition due to their work throughout the pandemic.
“It was a real privilege to meet The Earl and Countess, they were very interested to know how we have all coped during the pandemic and were extremely thankful to all of our nurses for the challenges they have faced,” said Tracey Coulson, Lead Nurse Vaccination programme in a media release.
Several military nurses and international nurses were in attendance at this celebration, and Edward and Sophie also chatted with nurses from the Frimley Health’s Wexham Park Hospital and Heatherwood Hospital via video link—including those working in paediatrics, emergency, intensive care, and infection control.
“It is an honour to have The Earl and Countess of Wessex visit Frimley Park Hospital and pay tribute to the work of our nurses across the Trust,” said Lorna Wilkinson, chief of nursing and midwifery, in a media release. “I am extremely proud of what our nurses have achieved and the commitment and the dedication they have shown to patients during the pandemic.”
“While our nursing staff have faced unprecedented pressures this year, many of the challenges have actually led to positive changes that will be reflected in our work in the future. Innovation has almost been an inevitable consequence of the pandemic, we have had to innovate to ensure the same level of excellent care is given to our patients.”
