An invitation to tie yellow ribbons on hospital railings as an act of remembrance to lives lost in the pandemic

People are being invited to tie a yellow ribbon on hospital railings to remember those who have lost their lives since the start of the pandemic.To mark five years since COVID-19, the public and those who work at Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, are invited to tie ribbons onto the railings at the front of hospital to remember, reflect and honour the tireless work, acts of kindness and resilience shown by healthcare workers and communities during this unprecedented time.The ribbons are available from the hospital reception for those who want to take part from now until to Tuesday, 11 March.

Alice Webster, chief executive of the QEH, said: “It is important to remember and reflect on the last five years and what an incredibly difficult time it was for many. We would like to offer people the chance to come together and remember. They may have lost a loved one or were impacted in some way, as many of us were, by the pandemic.”

The QEH was at the forefront of providing critical care to many patients during the pandemic, including staff members who became patients themselves.

One of those who tragically died in 2020 of COVID-19 was 64-year-old Chrissie Emerson, of Terrington St Clement, a beloved healthcare assistant.

The hospital’s Emerson unit was named in her honour when it was opened in 2022.Tim Goble, a healthcare assistant at the Trust, and dad-of-one from South Lynn, survived when he was taken ill in April 2020.Tim said: “I was off work unwell with Covid and was resting at home but I was taken into hospital by ambulance when a friend noticed I wasn’t responding normally to a conversation I was having with him. “I was admitted to a special ‘red’ Emergency Department set up for patients with Covid and later transferred to the Critical Care Unit. When I was there, I was placed in an induced coma for a couple of weeks.“It was a really scary time, I missed my son but didn’t want to Facetime him as didn’t want him to see me unwell. I received the most fantastic care, and I believe my colleagues saved my life.” Tim made a full recovery and returned to work as a healthcare assistant in the vaccination centre and more recently can be found in the orthopaedic outpatient department.Less than six months after leaving hospital he was back on his feet, refereeing football matches in his spare time.