Memorial benches are a touching tribute to staff and those who lost their lives to covid

The dedication of NHS staff to caring for people during the ongoing pandemic will never be forgotten thanks to a new memorial bench.

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The idea was the brainchild of paramedic Paul Shaw, who wanted a permanent thank you to staff at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

He reached out to the public to ask for donations and thanks to their generosity there are now two benches in place for people to sit and remember.

One is at the top of the RAH car park and the second one is at the back of the hospital next to the ambulance station.

Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley (Andrew Neil)

The bench also remembers those in Renfrewshire who lost their lives as a result of covid.

Paul said: “To have them in place demonstrates the people of Renfrewshire have been very generous and appreciate the efforts of the NHS staff and what they put themselves through.

“It’s a major accomplishment for all concerned.

“I’ve heard from a fair few members of staff at the RAH that they’re absolutely delighted that there is some form of recognition for the efforts they’ve put in over the last 18 months.

“We’d like to thank the people of Renfrewshire for their generosity.”

The bench outside the main RAH building: From left are: Paramedic Paul Shaw, Matt Drennan, Mark Hunter and Sharon Gourlay with Agnieszka Zieba, seated (Andrew Neil)

The online appeal for the benches raised a fantastic £1,670.

The plaque on the bench outside the RAH reads: “This bench commemorates all those who lost their lives to Covid-19 and recognises the immense effort and courage from all the NHS staff in Paisley and surrounding areas.”

In March 2020, Paul teamed up with Paisley businessman John McGlynn to set up the RAH Covid Patients’ Appeal which raised an incredible £200,000 for patients who couldn’t receive visitors during the first wave of the pandemic.

Melanie McColgan, Clyde Sector Director for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “We’d like to extend a huge thanks to the organisers and everyone who has kindly
donated.

“The benches are a fitting tribute to all our frontline staff who have responded so well during this pandemic.

“We’d also like to take the time to thank the public in Renfrewshire for their ongoing adherence to the rules, which has enabled us to continue delivering person-centred care throughout this difficult
period.”