Some Derby and Burton hospital staff have isolated themselves from partners and children for three months and 500 have stayed off work to shield vulnerable loved ones.

Gavin Boyle, chief executive of the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, paid tribute to these staff in his weekly blog.

Last month the trust revealed that more than 1,000 of its staff had been off work for Covid-related reasons.

It had said a further 300 were off work to shield vulnerable members of their household – to avoid bringing the Covid-19 virus back home.

The trust had also revealed that at least 600 members of staff had tested positive for the virus – but also that the total number is unknown due to those who contracted Covid-19 when testing was not in place.

At that point 1,340 trust staff had been tested – making the number testing positive more than half of those tested overall.

Mr Boyle has now said: "For colleagues who are shielding it is tough, really tough.

"I heard on a call from some of our people who have not been able to see their children or spouses since March because of the risk they face, let alone coming into the trust to work.

"We're going to do everything we can to support these colleagues as many said they just wanted to be able to contribute to the work of the trust, that includes getting them the kit they need to work from home.

"At some point we hope to reintegrate these 500 colleagues back into the hospital, but for the time being the advice is very much to stay at home.

"We're doing everything we can to make our hospitals as safe as possible for staff, patients, visitors and the public.

"We've ramped up the signage and the distancing measures to make them even safer and we've started a campaign so that everyone knows what to expect when they come to a UHDB hospital.

"Clearly we need all our staff, patients and visitors to play their part and stay left, stay 2m apart and continue to wash hands regularly."

As of 2.30pm on Wednesday, June 10, 486 UHDB patients had died after contracting Covid-19.

This includes three of its staff: Amged El-Hawrani, ear, nose and throat consultant, aged 55; Manjeet Singh Riyat, A&E consultant, aged 52; and Eileen Landers, cleaner, aged 67.

As of 2.30pm on Wednesday, June 10, there have been 3,110 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Staffordshire (including Stoke) and 2,339 in Derbyshire (including Derby).

Last week the first 1,000 UHDB staff were to receive Covid-19 antibody tests.

It said the process of testing all its staff and those at other partner organisations would "take time".

At 1,000 people a week, the trust could still be carrying out the first round of antibody testing in September.

The test identifies whether the patient in question has had Covid-19 by identifying an antibody of the virus.

It is no way a vaccine or a cure for the virus.