Royal London Hospital staff member breaks down in tears as she describes toll of Covid-19

More than 1600 Covid-19 deaths have been recorded in the UK in the last 24 hours, the highest number since the pandemic first hit the country.

Health authorities say hospitals are overwhelmed and the relentless pressure of coping with the pandemic is taking a toll on staff.

Inside the Royal London Hospital, 12 out of 15 floors are taken up with more than 400 Covid-19 patients.

Hannah Leahy, a senior mortician at the hospital, is part of a small team of just five that’s handled hundreds of bodies in this pandemic.

She says it’s almost like a conveyor belt.

“I hate to think of it like that, but yeah, it is almost,” she says breaking down in tears.

A critical care consultant at the hospital, Marie Healy says she’s unsure if the public have grasped the severity of Covid-19.

“I think the public want to do the right thing but I don’t feel they understand fully the scale of the problem."

She says she doesn’t “feel taken for granted” and if the public did understand the pressure the NHS are under, “they definitely wouldn’t hesitate to do the right thing.”