LEADERS from a Teesside health care organisation have united in poetic voice to ask the region to continue to work hard in protecting themselves, their loved ones and the NHS.

As the government announced plans for a potential relaxation in rules for the festive period, with a new tiered system set to be revealed today, trust leaders say they continue to face great pressures and would appreciate the support of the Teesside population to help drive down the rate of infection.

In a reflective video of their unusual year to date, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust leaders thanks the public, and ask them once more to remain vigilant.

Speaking about the poem, narrator and Medical Director for the organisation, Deepak Dwarakanath, said “We have worked tirelessly this year with our communities to ensure that we try to stop the spread of this virus. At the same time, we have had to employ our efforts into recovery for the trust to ensure that our business as usual returns to optimum levels of our expected high performance. Our staff have faced one of the most turbulent years of their careers, and there is no doubt they are weary. The poem reflects the feelings of the workforce, the thanks and appreciation for all the love and support shown throughout the year with an ask that Teesside keeps going.”