Supporting the Fight Against COVID-19

I’m extremely proud of the efforts we have made, and continue to make, as a university community against coronavirus, and particularly so when I think about the many staff and students from our school that are doing so much to support.

We’re incredibly proud and grateful to our cohort of 72 final year nursing students, all of whom are joining the NHS workforce for the last four months of their course. They will take up roles in hospitals across Yorkshire, and further afield, to play an invaluable role in delivering care on hospital wards and in the community, so more NHS resources can be diverted to the front-line in the fight against COVID-19. Some of our first and second year nurses are also working in the local Trusts to support this cause, with more second years set to join the workforce in the coming weeks. Their dedication to their calling and their personal courage is humbling and deeply moving; we cannot thank them enough.

Four of our academic colleagues have volunteered to provide induction training to critical carers at the new Nightingale Hospital established last week in Harrogate. Their expertise will help ensure the new 500 bed emergency field hospital can make an immediate contribution to critical patient care and save lives. Other academics in the school are supporting their communities by delivering food parcels and collecting prescriptions for the vulnerable people they live near to. 

From these fantastic personal contributions, to some of the simpler acts such as donating our supplies of PPE and equipment to our partners coming face to face with the coronavirus daily, we will continue to do everything we can to support the regional and national effort in this national health crisis and to recognise the incredible actions taking place in our community.