The work of King’s College Hospital’s staff throughout the pandemic has been extraordinary. Despite overwhelming pressures, the care and commitment of the staff at King’s ensured some of the best Covid-19 patient outcomes anywhere in the country. As well as the compassionate care King’s provided for local people, the hospital contributed hugely to the national Covid-19 response through vital research and innovation. I am so very grateful for all of their work.

Staff at King’s are already working hard to clear the backlog in treatment caused by the pandemic, but this work needs to be properly supported by Government. This must include on-going support to help burnt-out staff recover from the pandemic and sustained long term investment to upgrade hospital facilities and equipment. Today, I paid tribute to the tireless work of staff at King’s and urged the Government to commit to the additional resources needed to recover from the pandemic.