Critical care nurse tells how Captain Sir Tom Moore's fundraising helped hospital patients and staff

  • Nurse Nikki Jones appeared on ITV Lunchtime News and described how a hospital in Bangor, Wales, benefitted from Captain Tom's fundraising efforts

A critical care nurse has spoken about how hospital patients and staff have benefitted from the money that was raised by Captain Sir Tom Moore and his supporters.

Captain Tom, who became a national hero after he raised almost £33 million for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden during the first lockdown, died on Tuesday.

Nikki Jones, a hospital ward manager in Bangor, Wales, appeared on ITV Lunchtime News to speak about the impact Captain Tom has had on the hospital where she works.

She said: "The health board received over £200,000 of the money that Captain Tom managed to raise and the major impact that we've all felt both as professionals and the community is the lack of patient visiting, particularly when our patients are so sick and their relatives are so scared.

Boris Johnson urges everyone to clap for Captain Tom:

"The money raised has helped to provide psychological support for the staff and also iPads so their relatives can communicate with the patients."

When asked by news presenter Nina Hossain what sort of psychological support staff have received, she said: "Some counselling, some therapy, because they need to sort things through.

"It's something that we find extremely difficult, it's something that goes against everything we believe in as nurses. And the lack of relative presence when patients are so sick, passing away at times, is really, really hard."

  • At the start, the army veteran had hoped to raise a few pounds for the NHS, the public response staggered him. Video report by ITV News Senior Correspondent Paul Davies

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged people across the country to join in a national clap for Captain Tom. It is due to take place at 6pm, Mr Johnson announced at the House of Commons.

Asked if she would be joining in the national clap, Ms Jones said: "I'm not sure what the plans are for the hospital. Obviously, our work will need to continue but I'm sure that anybody who has got the time to spare at 6pm will be joining in the clap to remember what a marvellous inspiration he has been to the whole country in a time of crisis and what he's done for the NHS."

Viewers also heard from Georgia Toffolo, known for her appearance in reality television series Made in Chelsea and nicknamed "Toff".

99-year-old war veteran Captain Tom Moore after he achieved his goal of 100 laps of his garden. Credit: PA

The reality TV star was inspired to start her own fundraising campaign for the British Legion in Captain Tom's name. She said she wanted to continue fundraising for the charity the 100-year-old lent a lot of support to.

Toff began her fundraiser on Tuesday, with a target of raising £10,000 - donating £5,000 herself. As of Wednesday afternoon, she has raised nearly £13,000.

She told ITV Lunchtime News: "He (Captain Tom) was just a proper chap made of proper stuff. And I just really really want my generation, future generations, one day I hope will all have children that will still have the same values: a sense of duty, sense of tradition, getting up and helping when we need to. So that's why I started it."

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Asked whether she would be taking part in the national clap, she said: "I cannot wait. I'm counting down. I think all of us, as a nation, we're just feeling a little bit emotional. Tonight at 6pm, we can all come together again and clap for him."

Captain Tom, a Second World War veteran, was admitted to hospital on Sunday with breathing difficulties. His daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, said her father had pneumonia for the last few weeks and last week tested positive for Covid-19.

He died surrounded by his close family.