Airline crews out of work during the coronavirus lockdown have this week been deployed as volunteers at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust hospitals, and are proving popular.
Crews from British Airways, Easyjet and Norwegian are volunteering at NHS trusts across the country, using their customer skills and experience to help out hospital staff.
Under Project Wingman, crews are this week being introduced at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and University Lewisham Hospital.
The staff will be hosting 'First Class Lounges' for staff at both hospitals, and the trust's Chief Nurse Angela Helleur said it was "amazing what a nice smile and relaxed environment can do for anxiety and stress."
The nurse said: "We can’t thank the crews enough for using their own time to support our staff in this way.
"We’re doing everything we can to make sure emotional wellbeing is a priority for colleagues across the trust and I would encourage staff to take a break in the lounge whenever they can.”
Gary Bristow, one of the leads on the local Project Wingman and customer service manager for British Airways, said the campaign had been a "run(a)way success.
"People working tirelessly in the NHS deserve some downtime and we’re glad to be putting our skills to good use.”
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