NHS heroes fighting coronavirus should receive a medal named after Florence Nightingale – according to the boss of a museum dedicated to the “Lady with the Lamp”.
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the woman considered the founder of modern nursing.
Politicians backing the Mirror's campaign to Give NHS Heroes a Medal have called for a gong to be called the Nightingale Medal.
Today, the director of the Florence Nightingale Museum – dedicated to her work pioneering modern nursing and chronicling her time at Scutari Hospital in Turkey during the Crimean War – throws his support behind the drive.
Davey Green told the Mirror calling an award the Nightingale Medal “would be absolutely awesome”.
“We would be thrilled if her name was kept alive in this way,” he said.
“The museum is delighted to support this and recognises the truly heroic actions of many people.
“That is certainly within the spirit of Nightingale and we are all very grateful for the work they have done.”
The museum is based at St Thomas' Hospital, which stands on the south bank of the River Thames opposite the Houses of Parliament in central London.
In 1860, four years after her famous involvement in the Crimean War, Nightingale founded the Nightingale Training School for nurses at St Thomas'.
Boris Johnson spent three nights in tits intensive care unit in April after he fell gravely ill with coronavirus.
Mr Green said the fact the Prime Minister became the “famous” hospital's “most famous patient just shows how indiscriminate the disease can be”.
“Clearly St Thomas' looked after the Prime Minister very well but we know from how closely we work with them that he would have received the same excellent care that everybody who goes to St Thomas' does,” he said.
“They are truly professional in all they do and really do the best for them.”
Nightingale's name has already played a key role in the response to Covid-19, with makeshift hospitals in England setup to house coronavirus patients named after her.
“With it being her bicentenary, it was fantastic that they named the hospitals after her,” said Mr Green.
“While it is quite ironic that a pandemic has occurred in her bicentenary year, it's certainly very much 'Nightingale' that we are seeing right the way through this.
“The response is there both in the compassion that we are seeing from the doctors and nurses who are on the frontline, through to the fact the Nightingale Hospital at London ExCeL is a very similar size to Scutari, which is where Nightingale was based during the Crimean War.
“Her use of evidence-based nursing and statistical data to actually find solutions when she came back from the Crimean War is so typical (of what we are seeing now).
“These awards are hugely appropriate if they are named after her.”
The Mirror first called for a gong for frontline heroes on March 28 – a bid backed by military historian and peer Lord Ashcroft, who owns the world's biggest private collection of VCs.
Our drive has also been supported by all five living former prime minsiters, a host of TV stars, MPs and footballers, including Manchester City and England striker Raheem Sterling.
Last month, Mr Johnson gave the clearest hint yet that he will back a medal for NHS coronavirus heroes.
In a written statement to Parliament, the PM said: “There is, understandably, huge appetite across the country to say thank you to all those on the frontline, within our communities and in our public services, who are supporting the nation through these unprecedented times.
“The Government is clear that there will be a range of opportunities to mark the contributions of so many – but this must come at the appropriate time.
“Our current priority – and that of the front line services – remains tackling the current public health emergency.
“I want to provide assurance today, however, that the moment to mark so many extraordinary actions will not be lost.”
