Resilient hospital staff have been praised for their “exceptional” work looking after coronavirus patients.

Chris Cobb, chief operating officer at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH), thanked the staff in the Brundall Ward who have “borne the brunt” of the pandemic.

Mr Cobb said: “I have the upmost admiration for every last one of them.

“Not only have they been doing their job with a smile on their face, they have wanted to carry on doing it. We have offered them relocation - they did not want relocation. They really have stepped up and delivered exceptional care throughout this crisis.”

On Wednesday, it was announced only five people were being treated at the NNUH for the virus, falling from a peak of 85 at the start of April.

It now means the Brundall ward will be stood down to resume its normal duty.

Jo Trundell, matron for Cringleford and Brundall wards, where suspected and confirmed Covid-19 patients are treated at NNUH, has spoken of the teams great resilience during the period.

The matron said: “All the staff are showing great resilience and flexibility and we are so grateful, many who were working in outpatients came to help us too.

“At first some colleagues were understandably very anxious: guidance was changing quickly, even a couple of times during the same day. I had to make sure changes were communicated as quickly and clearly as possible to the rest of the team.

“In a way we almost learnt as we went along, especially how to wear the correct PPE, which was certainly the aspect that caused most stress at the beginning. But we worked very closely with the Infection Prevention and Control team and always stayed positive. This has helped form a strong bond between staff who haven’t worked before together.”

“Welcoming staff from other areas can be challenging, especially during such a stressful time, but I made sure to give clear information to everyone, following our hospital’s Pride values, and do my best to make everyone feel at ease in the new environment.

“I feel now we’re one strong, big team. All the wards are getting to know each other better, and this makes us more flexible, adaptable and resilient.