Hospital staff perform poem in emotional plea to Hartlepool, saying 'thanks for your love and please keep going'

Leaders from a Teesside health care organisation have united in producing a poem.

It asks the people of Hartlepool and the North Tees area to continue to work hard in protecting themselves, their loved ones and the NHS.

The poignant poem comes as the government announced plans for a potential relaxation in rules for the festive period, with a new tiered system set to be revealed on Thursday.

Leaders at the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust say they continue to face great pressures and would appreciate the support of people to drive down the rate of infection.

In a reflective video of their unusual year to date, they thanked the public and asked them once more to remain vigilant.

Narrator and Medical Director for the organisation, Deepak Dwarakanath, said “We have worked tirelessly this year with our communities to ensure that we try to stop the spread of this virus.

The Trust’s staff have ‘faced one of the most turbulent years of their careers, and there is no doubt they are weary,” said Mr Dwarakanath.

He added: “The poem reflects the feelings of the workforce, the thanks and appreciation for all the love and support shown throughout the year with an ask that Teesside keeps going.”

The Trust announced last week that their COVID-19 cases in the second wave were almost double of that in the first wave of the pandemic.

Bosses say they will continue to share messaging to support reduction in transmissions to ensure Teesside becomes stable.

The video is narrated by Chief Executive Julie Gillon, Medical Director Deepak Dwarakanath, Chief urse Lindsey Robertson, Deputy Chief People Officer Gary Wright, and Director of Corporate Services and Chief of Staff Barbara Bright.

The poem includes these lines;

"Last push, last pledge, a few more weeks to go. There’s light, there’s hope, we want to let you know,

"Keep going, keep caring, keep protecting those you hold dear. We’ll keep on working to keep you safe to have your loved ones near.”

The trust will release the video on their website and social media channels and are encouraging the public to share the message.

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