Coronavirus in Portsmouth: Nurse slams yobs who threw rocks at Queen Alexandra Hospital staff bus

One nurse sitting in the First Bus vehicle suffered a panic attack as the window next to her shattered in the ‘mindless’ attack.

Youths were seen hurling the rocks at the bus carrying seven NHS workers and police are investigating the incident.

It comes as frontline medics are working flat out to care for the, at latest public count, 503 Covid patients at QA Hospital.

Liz Jeremiah, a sister at QA Hospital and RCN Portsmouth branch chair, said: ‘At a time when staff at the hospital are working tirelessly to support and care for patients in unprecedented circumstances behaviour such as this is not only morally reprehensible but puts lives at risk.

‘Members of staff and the public could have been seriously injured placing even further pressures on an already overstretched service. I trust that Hampshire Constabulary will deal with the perpetrators with appropriate vigour.’

It happened in James Callaghan Drive on Friday at around 4.30pm and its callousness has shocked people in the community.

Roger Batterbury, from Healthwatch Portsmouth, said his team was ‘shocked, saddened and outraged by this utterly mindless vandalism’.

He added: ‘It's a sad day that hospital workers in these difficult times cannot feel safe on their highly important transport.

‘We hope those responsible are caught and prosecuted.

‘We feel for those on the transport who we must remember are caring for our loved ones at QA and to be treated like this by members of our community is disgraceful.

‘We are in a pandemic and this is truly shocking that nurses are treated in this manner, they are our local heroes and must be protected from this behaviour so they can continue with their invaluable roles at the hospital.’

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Marc Reddy, the managing director of First Solent, said he was sad to confirm the details of the attack on the park-and-ride service as it took staff back to their cars.

‘Fortunately there were no serious injuries,’ he said.

‘The health, safety and wellbeing of all our customers and staff remains our absolute priority and we are proud to be carrying fellow key workers to their places of work during the current lockdown period and beyond.’

Anyone with information should call Hampshire police on 101, quoting 44210020754.

A police spokeswoman said: ‘Officers are currently following all lines of enquiry available in order to establish the circumstances of the incident.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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