PRINCE William paid tribute to a “much loved” nurse who died from coronavirus.
Estrella Catalan, 52, died this month at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) where she had worked for 18 years.
Wills, 38, told East of England’s NHS leadership meeting Britain faced a “very big waterfall of mental health issues”
Estrella had begged to go back to work to treat her patients when she was in hospital with Covid-19 before she died last Friday.
Wills said: “I also want to just sort of pass on my thoughts to all of you and your teams about Estrella Catalan, who I believe was a much loved member of most of your teams and had been in the region for a long time at I think King’s Lynn and N and N (Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital).
“And I imagine that’s hit everyone very hard so I’m very sorry to hear that, and my thoughts from my family are all with all of you who knew her and her family.”
In moving scenes Mrs Catalan was interviewed from her hospital bed last month by the BBC and cried as she explained she only wanted to return to her patients.
She said:”I want to help. But I don’t know when.
“I don’t mind working and doing even extra shifts to help the trust, but I’m here as a patient. I’m helpless.”
Ann Radmore, Regional Director, NHS England and NHS Improvement – East of England, led the meeting of around 35 senior NHS leaders.
After the meeting she said about the duke: “He mentioned her death to us, and I think that was very appropriate and helpful actually, because she was a much loved member of staff over in Norfolk.”
William worked as a helicopter pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance ending his two-year stint in 2017.
It is likely to have ferried patients to the NNUH but had not met the nurse.
Wills said he feared for mental health for NHS bosses.
After the private meeting, the duke said: “As you know I’m trying to champion, trying to tackle the taboo and the stigma around mental health and my conversations so far up and down the country with your colleagues in the NHS has starkly shown we’re facing a very big waterfall of mental health issues coming up.”
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