Captain Tom Moore to be guest of honour at Harrogate Nightingale Hospital opening

Captain Tom Moore will be the guest of honour at the opening of a newNightingale hospital in North Yorkshire.

The 99-year-old will praise the efforts of NHS staff by video-link and said he had been "amazed by the amount of kindness and generosity from the UK public" who have so far contributed more than £27 million to his efforts.

The Second World War veteran started his fundraiser with a modest target of £1,000, intending to walk 100 lengths of his garden, ahead of his 100th birthday on April 30.

Credit: PA

The money raised by Captain Moore will buy food parcels and counselling sessions for NHS staff and electronic tablets to let patients talk to their loved ones.

Ian Lush, chairman of NHS Charities Together, said its around 160 members had already received £35,000 each, with the money covering staff wellbeing and helping patients and their families.

Captain Moore completed his 100th lap on Thursday, but as donations continue to pour in, he has vowed to keep going with his challenge - which has captured the hearts of the nation.

Sir Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive, said:

Moore has been personally thanked by the Duke of Cambridge, who described him as a "one-man fundraising machine", while Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he is looking at ways to recognise his "heroic efforts".

A Spitfire flypast is also reportedly being organised to mark his centenary year, with the Daily Telegraph reporting a team of aircraft restorers are looking to run a Second World War-era display at the end of the month.

At the Downing Street press conference on Saturday, Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick added: "I can't think of a more worthy person to be the guest of honour at the opening of the new Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate next week."

Originally from Keighley in West Yorkshire, Captain Moore trained as a civilengineer before enlisting in the Army for the Second World War, rising to captain and serving in India and Burma.

  • Donations to NHS Charities Together can still be made at: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tomswalkforthenhs