UNIVERSITY Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust will be given the Freedom of the city as a thank you for their efforts during the pandemic.
The city council will hold an extraordinary general meeting at Coventry Cathedral on Thursday following a short parade from the council house at 10.45am, featuring Lord Mayor Coun Kevin Maton and many NHS staff.
The meeting will begin at 11am and members of the public are welcome to attend or cheer the parade, although space inside will be limited.
The recognition was proposed last year to mark the work that the Trust put in, culminating in UHCW being selected to deliver the world’s first coronavirus vaccine in December 2020.
The event will be commemorated with an illuminated plaque and guests will see a video showing the work put in by UHCW during the pandemic, as well as short stories from staff who will reflect on challenges during that period.
Coun George Duggins, leader of Coventry City Council said: “Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected every individual, every household, every community, every business and every organisation in our city.
“It has been a time of loss, sacrifice, hardship and struggle, yet it also showed us the very best of human nature with many examples of selflessness and sacrifice.
“That was nowhere more evident than in our amazing NHS and our own UHCW NHS Trust.”
Lord Mayor Coun Kevin Maton, added: “The Freedom of the City is a rare and very special honour and I am sure everyone will agree that it is very well deserved.
“The hospital and our NHS staff are there for us every day and have been for generations and we already owed them so much, but COVID-19 reinforced just what amazing work they do and what they mean to us.”
