Government minister Michelle Donelan highlighted the “hard work and resilience” of medical students from Nottingham’s two universities in their role in fighting coronavirus.
Speaking as part of a virtual visit to Nottingham Trent University (NTU), the Minister for Universities said she was “incredibly grateful” for their efforts.
Students from both NTU and the University of Nottingham worked on the frontline at the peak of the pandemic as the NHS battled with rising coronavirus cases, hospitalisations and deaths.
At one point during the pandemic, Nottingham had the highest rate of infections in the UK as the city’s hospitals were at a serious threat of being overwhelmed.
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Around 689.1 per 100,000 people were testing positive for the virus in the week leading to October 8.
“I just want to show gratitude,” the Universities Minister said as part of a virtual visit to NTU on Tuesday (June 15).
“The Health Secretary and I have spoken about this many times and we are incredibly grateful for their hard work.
“They selflessly went to the frontline, in the middle of their studies, to help and assist others in their times of need.
“Everybody owes a debt of gratitude to anybody who helped during the pandemic, but particularly to those students who themselves may have been young and concerned over the past year.
“It has been a difficult year in whole and so I am grateful to the student body at large for the resilience they have shown.
“I fully appreciate it has not been the student experience that anybody would have wanted, but I think it speaks volumes to the strength of character of British students to get through this.”
Lead Photo: Department for Education