'Devastated' nurse finds bike stolen outside work after 12-hour night shift caring for coronavirus patients
A "devastated" nurse was forced to walk home after a 12-hour shift caring for coronavirus patients when her bike was stolen by thieves.
Karen Udtohan, 29, had just finished a night shift when she saw thieves had taken her bike outside Queen's Medical Centre (QMC), Nottingham, on Wednesday.
She is not the first healthcare worker to have her bike stolen during the pandemic. London based doctor Laura Pujol was forced to walk to work after her bike was stolen from a hospital car park.
Ms Udtohan said she had travelled by bike to avoid using public transport and potentially spreading the virus. The nurse told NottinghamshireLive that she was instead forced to walk 45 minutes home.
The UK says thanks to the NHS in nationwide clap - In pictures
"It was a night shift - 7pm to 7.45am. I wanted to avoid taking a bus or taxi because there is a high risk of passing on the virus", she said.
"I was so tired from the shift. When you are at QMC you are always on your feet and then sadly your ride to get home is no longer there.
"I ended up having to walk home. It killed my time to have a good rest, ringing the police and letting security know. I felt devastated."
NottinghamshireLive reported that thieves have stolen a number of bikes from outside the medical centre.
It came as members of the public clapped for NHS workers and others who have been battling the coronavirus pandemic at 8pm on Thursday night.
More than 670,000 people have signed up for the NHS volunteer programme in 48 hours, prompting the Government to increase the target to 750,000.
People are being sought to help deliver shopping and medication to those in need, transport patients and NHS equipment, or check in and chat on the phone with individuals at risk of loneliness as a result of self-isolation.
