28 May 2020

Four members of the Cottrell family who all work at Frimley Park Hospital have spoken of their pride in fighting coronavirus together.

Debbie Cottrell, 60, works as a specialist colorectal nurse alongside her two sons Jack, 28, an assistant physiotherapist, and Peter, 32, a psychiatric doctor. She’s also joined by daughter-in-law Roxanne, 33, a junior doctor in ED.
Despite being based in different parts of the hospital, they often find themselves working side-by-side helping patients.

The family have all been working at Frimley Park for a number of years and it is the same place where Jack, Peter and Roxanne were all born. Debbie’s third son Patrick, a GP in York, was also born at Frimley.
Debbie said: “I get very excited when I see them. Of course, at this worrying time they are working with Covid patients, we all are, and I often have to refer some of my patients to see Peter.
“And if I am on the wards I see Jack working with my patients. And with Roxanne, when I go down to A&E to see patients, it is lovely to see her there.
“I am a proud mum and I love them all working here.”

The family say the support for the Trust from the public has been ‘emotional’.
Debbie said: “We are very grateful but we are just doing our normal jobs, and we are happy to be working at Frimley.”
Roxanne added: “I have worked some tough shifts recently, and the night shifts are particularly tough, and going into work you can feel a bit down and you walk past the rainbows and thank-yous and you think, ‘Okay, I can do this’.”

With lockdown gradually being eased across the UK, Peter said: “It’s okay to be struggling. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed and it is definitely okay to talk to someone if you are in a bad place.”
“It’s really important during lockdown to make sure we are getting out,” Jack said.
“It’s very easy to stay inside. And it is important to ensure you are getting some form of exercise, even just going out for a walk. It’s good for your fitness and your mental health.”