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Tributes paid to five more nurses who have died during pandemic

Tributes from colleagues and loved ones

Image showing particles of the coronavirus, which has led to the COVID-19 pandemic
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Tributes have been paid to five more nurses who have died amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Saturday Central and North West London (CNWL) NHS Foundation Trust confirmed Sara Trollope, a nurse employed by the trust, had died at Watford General Hospital after testing positive for COVID-19.

Ms Trollope was matron for older adult mental health services.

Helen Willetts, one of the trust's three nursing directors, said: ‘Sara guided many many nurses, myself included, to a better understanding of how to care for older adults with mental health problems and dementia.

'I once had the joy of watching her encourage and support a very distressed patient into a calmer frame of mind. It was so dignified, skilled and full of value for the person. We have lost a wonderful advocate for nursing older people.’

Trust's tribute to 'much-loved' nurse

Ms Trollope's death comes after Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed the death of a nurse who was self-isolating due to COVID-19 symptoms.

Julie Omar was an experienced nurse who had been working at Redditch's Alexandra Hospital.

Trust chief executive Matthew Hopkins said: ‘Julie was a dedicated and highly experienced trauma and orthopaedics nurse.

'I know she will be sadly missed by many,' he added.

Nurse Gareth Roberts, who had been a nurse since the 1980s, was also confirmed to have died after testing positive for the virus, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said.

He had retired in 2014 and re-joined the board’s bank in 2015.

Caring and personal side 

‘Staff say he was such a kind and helpful person, and that they learned so much from him,’ the board said in a statement.

‘He had a lovely way with relatives and always offered the caring personal side, he was very much an “old school” nurse.’

Elsie Sazuze, a care home nurse who worked for Wolverhampton-based agency Totallycare, died this week, the agency confirmed.

Her husband Ken, who is himself training to be a nurse, told the BBC she was dedicated to helping people.

A GoFundMe page set up by a family friend has raised thousands of pounds towards funeral costs.

Meanwhile, the family of nurse Leilani Dayrit, who worked at the Hospital of St Cross in Rugby, Warwickshire, said she had died of suspected COVID-19.

Daughter's tribute to compassionate and dedicated nurse

Daughter Mary Dayrit described her mother, who was born in the Philippines, as a compassionate woman who always put other people’s happiness and well-being before her own.

'She was a very hardworking and dedicated nurse who loved to look after others and because of this she was known as the "mother figure" to numerous family friends,' she wrote on a GoFundMe fundraising page.

'She was a perfect example of an optimist who kept looking on the bright side of things and encouraged everyone to do the same.'

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust confirmed a member of staff had died, but did not name the staff member or give any information about how the death occurred.

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