Free hotel rooms for NHS staff fighting coronavirus
Hospital staff leading the fight against coronavirus will be offered free accommodation following an agreement between an NHS trust and a hotel chain.
Rooms have been made available at The Mercure hotel in West Bromwich specifically for staff working at the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell and Birmingham City hospitals.
The hotel is just minutes away from both hospitals, where patients are being treated for the virus and NHS workers are putting themselves at risk. Mercure has agreed to make the rooms available at a discounted rate.
Raffaela Goodby, director of people and organisation development at the trust, said: "We want to ensure that our staff are well looked after and have good facilities at the hotel while they are sacrificing being with their own families to safely look after our patients.
"We are very grateful to Mercure and Accor and the on-site team for looking after our work family during this difficult time.
"Food will be available to our staff, as well as a laundry service, free parking and wi-fi so they are able to stay in touch with their loved ones."
Garin Dart, hotel manager, said: "I want to welcome staff from the trust to our hotel during this difficult time and do whatever we can to help the NHS.
"We are very proud to offer our services to those working at the hospitals, as they are helping us in the fight against this virus."
