Coronavirus: Hospital cleaner dies after contracting Covid-19

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Eileen Landers Covid-19 Burton TipperaryImage source, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS trust
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Eileen Landers worked for 16 years at Queen's Hospital in Burton-upon-Trent, where she died on Sunday

A hospital cleaner with a "heart of gold" has died at the hospital where she worked after contracting Covid-19.

Eileen Landers worked at Queen's Hospital in Burton-upon-Trent for 16 years, the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB) said.

The 67-year-old's death on Sunday means she is the third person from the trust to die after contracting the disease.

Staff at the trust took part in a national minute's silence on Tuesday.

Ms Landers, who lived in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, grew up in Tipperary in Ireland, the second youngest of eight brothers and sisters, and came to England in her early 20s.

Her sister Margaret led the tributes following confirmation of her death.

"Eileen had a heart of gold and was the most generous person," she said.

"We will all miss her greatly."

Ms Landers' death follows those of 55-year-old consultant Amged El-Hawrani - who NHS England said was the first front-line NHS worker to die after getting the virus - and A&E consultant Manjeet Singh Riyat, who died on 20 April.

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Staff at Queen's Hospital in Burton-upon-Trent took part in a minute's silence to remember Ms Landers and other NHS workers who have died

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UHDB chief executive Gavin Boyle said he has "never known anything like" the coronavirus crisis during his 30-year career in the NHS

UHDB chief executive Gavin Boyle said she was "a very popular member of the team" who was "known for her high standards".

"The importance of the role Eileen and her colleagues perform simply cannot be overstated," he said.

"It's been an incredibly sad time - I've worked in the NHS for over 30 years, and I've never known anything like the Covid-19 epidemic.

"To lose three colleagues in the space of just over a month is really hard-hitting."

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