More than 40 NHS staff die fighting coronavirus

Tributes have been paid to a pregnant nurse who died after contracting Covid-19, with more than 40 NHS staff now said to have died during the outbreak.

Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, 28, who worked as a nurse on a general ward at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital for five years, died on Sunday.

The baby girl was delivered successfully and is doing well, according to the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who called Ms Agyapong a “highly valued and loved” member of staff.

The Government has confirmed 19 deaths amongst those working for the health service, but announcements from NHS trusts and tributes from loved ones indicate the true number is higher still.

An associate specialist in Reading, a ward housekeeper in north London and a healthcare assistant in Bristol were among the latest victims to be identified.

Father-of-two Dr Peter Tun worked as an associate specialist in neurorehabilitation at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading for more than 21 years.

The 62-year-old died in the hospital’s intensive care unit on Monday.

His two sons paid tribute to their “superhero dad” in a statement, adding: “To us, he was simply the best human we know and we will miss him every day.”

North Middlesex University Hospital confirmed the death of ward housekeeper Cheryl Williams.

In a tribute on Facebook, the NHS trust said: “As a ward housekeeper on one of our care of the elderly wards, Cheryl was a lynchpin of the care, comfort, and compassion that our patients and local people value so highly, and her personal contribution to patient care is irreplaceable.”

Grandmother Maureen Ellington, who was in her early 60s, worked at Southmead Hospital in Bristol as a healthcare assistant and passed away on April 12.

She had worked for the NHS for over 25 years at both Frenchay and Southmead hospitals.

Mrs Ellington’s family, who called her “kind-hearted, bubbly, caring and always joyous”, said: “She would light up any room she entered. She will always be in our hearts.”