Covid: Whiston and St Helens hospitals honoured for work during pandemic

Two Merseyside hospitals are set to receive the freedom of St Helens and Knowsley in recognition of their efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Whiston and St Helens hospitals have been nominated by their respective council leaders.

Knowsley's Graham Morgan and St Helens' David Baines praised the "incredible efforts and sacrifice" of staff.

Both hospitals came under huge pressure during the two main peaks of the pandemic in the UK.

Past recipients have included St Helens rugby league team and ex-Liverpool footballer Stephen Gerrard.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the freedom of Knowsley has only been awarded on a handful of occasions including to the former England player and current Rangers manager, who grew up in Huyton.

Former Huyton MP and Prime Minister Harold Wilson and the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment also received the award.

The freedom of St Helens has been awarded on more occasions.

The nomination of St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the two hospitals, will need to be approved by the two councils.

In a joint statement, the two leaders said the hospital teams had "worked tirelessly to care for people when they needed it the most".

They added: "This is the highest honour we can bestow on any organisation or individual, and we hope this goes some way in showing our collective appreciation."

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