Coronavirus: Burton consultant Amged El-Hawrani dies

A hospital consultant has become one of the first senior medics in the UK to die after contracting coronavirus.

The family of Amged El-Hawrani thanked his NHS colleagues for working "tirelessly" to save him.

Mr El-Hawrani's death comes after London-based surgeon Dr Adil El Tayar died last Wednesday.

An ear, nose and throat consultant at the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton, Mr El-Hawrani died at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, on Saturday.

Another doctor, GP Habib Zaidi, died in intensive care at Southend Hospital, Essex, on Wednesday while being treated for suspected coronavirus.

In a statement, Mr El-Hawrani's family said he was "a loving and much-loved husband, son, father, brother, and friend".

"His greatest passions were his family and his profession, and he dedicated his life to both," they said.

"We would like to thank all those involved in his care for their kindness and compassion during his illness.

"They worked tirelessly for their patient, as he would have done for his own."

Mr El-Hawrani was aged in his mid-50s and worked at Queen's Hospital, Burton.

Gavin Boyle, chief executive of the hospital trust, said he was "known for his dedication and commitment to his patients".

"The whole UHDB family are desperately saddened at losing Amged, who was such a valued and much loved colleague," he said.

"We would also like to thank our colleagues at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust for their professionalism and the compassionate care they have shown for Amged and his family."

Prof Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of NHS England, said Mr El-Hawrani's death was a "stark reminder to the whole country that we all must take this crisis seriously".

"The NHS is a family and we all feel deeply the loss of any of our colleagues, but as we all continue to unite and work together to tackle the spread of coronavirus, I know that the whole of the NHS and the public we serve will want to extend our sympathies to the El-Hawrani family," he said.

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