Health chief praises healthcare staff across Wolverhampton for 'bostin' effort in fighting Covid-19

Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, told a board meeting that there had been a real "community effort" in tackling the virus.

It led to him praising frontline workers at New Cross Hospital – run by the trust – as well as Wolverhampton Council, Wolves and other partners in the city.

Professor Field CBE complimented healthcare staff after board members heard from Gerardine Hardisty, from the intensive care unit at New Cross Hospital.

He said: "We're all part of this community in Wolverhampton and we're all pulling together.

"And that includes the football club down the road who were really supportive and even though I'm not a Wolves fan, their medical director Matthew Perry and their team helped us in so many different ways.

"This is a community action and you're [NHS staff] right on the frontline and thank you again, on behalf of the whole board. Bostin' absolutely bostin, it's great."

Professor Field later praised the "great vaccination roll-out" in the city as he discussed with board members about reports over how pregnant women were reluctant to take the vaccine.

He was reassured there had been no reports locally – and staff members were following the national guidance – as he said the pressures of Covid-19, if there was a third wave, could be different.

He added: Not vaccinating women who are pregnant with a potential third wave coming, or young people, could put both the mums and the babies at serious risk. And when we start to look at the pressure on our trust, it looks as though that pressure is unlikely to be as we had before – the elderly population – because as much, they would've had two vaccines, because of the great vaccination roll-out in Wolverhampton."

Professor Field later praised the trust's work with John Denley, director of public health for Wolverhampton Council, which he described as being "incredible".