The latest was on January 9 when NHS electrician and married dad-of-two Michael Wilson, 39, of Carlisle, died. North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Trust said: “Our thoughts are with his wife Kimberley and his two children Harry, 12, and Arabella, seven.” From March to October 12 there were 646 virus deaths of care workers in England and Wales, says the Office for National Statistics.
The Daily Express has included another 24 from October 12.
Another 36 were added from Scotland – 15 NHS workers and 21 care home staff – and four from Northern Ireland.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, of the British Medical Association, called the numbers “staggering, adding: “No one should have to risk their life just by going to work and the Government has a duty to protect health and social care staff.
“The BMA is demanding all healthcare workers are vaccinated by the end of this month and Public Health England ensures staff are properly protected.”
The latest losses include on November 29, Barbra Hassack, 55, who died at home in Strelley, Nottingham, just six days after being tested positive.
She had been with Nottingham CityCare for 19 years and worked as an assistant practitioner. The team were “heartbroken”.
On December 1, ward clerk Dave Kemp – who worked on the acute assessment unit at Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Cambs – died.
Caroline Walker, boss of North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Dave was a very popular team member and will be greatly missed.
On Christmas Eve, “dedicated and passionate” frontline Leicester NHS nurse and mum-of-three Yvonne Taggart, 55, died.
Her colleagues described her as a team player who went “above and beyond”.
On December 31 Rachel Trott, 36, of Ashford, Kent , died after contracting coronavirus, leaving behind partner Finn and three young children.
She had worked in surgery at the William Harvey Hospital since October last year.
On January 1, Dr Augustine Obaro, of Walthamstow, east London, died . He had been a family GP for 17 years after moving from Nigeria in 1999 to start training.
On January 3 the UK’s “father of renal medicine” Donal O’Donoghue OBE, 64, died. The kidney expert at Salford Royal Hospital was registrar of the Royal College of Physicians.
On January 6, Northern Ireland’s Antrim Area Hospital dementia specialist Alan Henry died in the ICU department where his wife Noeleen works.
His wife pleaded on social media for people to follow lockdown rules, saying: “Are these excuses really worth a life?”
