Your parents are heroes, hospital boss tells children

Kettering Hospital chief executive Simon Weldon urged children to remember their parents during the Clap for Carers on a Thursday night

A hospital chief executive has written to the children of his staff members telling them their parents are "true heroes" of the coronavirus crisis.

Simon Weldon, the chief executive at Kettering Hospital, wrote the letter on Monday.

In it he tells children their parents are "working really hard to help all of the poorly people in the hospital".

One member of staff, Dr Ajay Verma, shared the letter on Twitter and said: "This is a real class act."

It comes after chief constable, Nick Adderley, wrote a similar letter in April thanking colleagues' children for being part of the Northamptonshire Police team.

Each letter from Mr Weldon is tailored to the individual child.

In the letter to Dr Verma, addressed to his son, he said: "I want you to know that your father is a true hero."

It continued, he was "working really hard to help all of the poorly people in the hospital".

Mr Weldon tells children the hospital is "working hard to make sure" their parents are protected from coronavirus.

He wrote that he knows "things feel very different" with children having to "be at home all of the time" or "going to school when your friends aren't there".

He said their parents "may still be going to work when some people don't have to.

"This is because they have an important job to do."

He also urged children to let their parents "know that what they are doing at the minute is really special and that you are proud of them".

He said they should remember that when they clap on a Thursday night, they are clapping for their parents too.

Mr Weldon finished the letter by reminding children to wash their hands and stay at home, adding "we couldn't do this without you".

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