Countess of Wessex's virtual Royal visit to Musgrove Park Hospital

The Countess - married to the Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward - chatted with staff from Somerset NHS Foundation Trust about their experiences working through the Covid-19 pandemic.

She met Somerset the trust's chief operating officer for hospital services, Matthew Bryant; Colin Drummond, the trust's chairman; and the Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, Annie Maw, along with representatives from different teams and services across the trust.

NHS staff told her how responding to the crisis had impacted on them and their roles.

Sophie Wessex spoke with workers in frontline nursing, mental health, emergency and intensive care roles, as well as junior doctors and the joint chairman of the trust’s multicultural colleague network.

The Countess of Wessex's Zoom visit

And staff in cleaning and facilities roles, community district nursing and administrative support roles from across the county, including from community hospitals in Crewkerne and Bridgwater and from the Somerset Covid-19 vaccination programme also got to speak with the Countess.

She heard how Somerset NHS Foundation Trust had to respond quickly and reconfigure services in order to care for potentially large numbers of patients with coronavirus, including those who needed help with their breathing, as well as continue to provide services for patients who did not have the virus and ensuring all patients had appropriate support following discharge from hospital.

During the visit, HRH paid tribute to all colleagues working at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and thanked them for their contributions sacrifices and hard work, whilst noting how challenging this past year will also have been personally for everyone, in addition to their work in the NHS.

The Countess of Wessex's Zoom visit

Mr Bryant said: “We were honoured to host a visit from Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex and share some of our recent experiences from responding to the Covid-19 pandemic in Somerset.

"We’re immensely proud of all of our dedicated and hardworking colleagues, who have worked through the most difficult and challenging year we have experienced.

"They have continued to provide excellent services, making the right decisions for patients and supporting each other, despite working longer hours, often in new environments and under difficult circumstances.

"At the same time, we see how the pandemic has brought much disruption and heartbreak to the families and loved ones of our patients, and our colleagues have found new and innovative ways of supporting families, and helping them to stay in touch with their loved ones.

"We owe a huge debt of gratitude to all our colleagues and partners who have worked so tirelessly, and sacrificed so much, in order to continue to provide vital health and care services for the people of Somerset, whilst also setting up and delivering a once-in-a-generation vaccine programme."