London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026

Hospital workers: From cabin crew to the coronavirus front line

Hospital workers: From cabin crew to the coronavirus front line

Like lots of people, Nikki Hazelhurst lost her job last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Before this I was cabin crew, it was my absolute dream job," she tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.

"I'm obsessed with planes, but I'm not quite intelligent enough to fly one so I like to serve on them instead."

When she found herself out of a job, Nikki applied for work at Harrogate's Nightingale hospital, and then moved to the main hospital's PPE department.

"I went from drinks, snacks and really happy people to somewhere there's a lot of doom and gloom. It's scary."

Newsbeat spent two days in Harrogate Hospitals for a series of specials you can hear on Radio 1, 1Xtra, Asian Network or BBC Sounds.

'I want to be back in the air'


But Nikki's skills from her work as cabin crew have come in handy working for the NHS.

"My customer service skills have really helped, I'm a jolly person and I'm a really hard worker - plus lugging cages around the hospital is tough work, but I'm used to trollies on a plane" she says cheerily.

Nikki Hazelhurst
So where does Nikki hope to be in 12 months time?

"Wow - that has made me a bit emotional," she says.

"I don't want to be needed here, it's not a good thing, but I will do it."

Nikki's partner has recently got his commercial pilot's licence, and she hopes they can both take to the skies again in the future.

"In 12 months I want me and him to be back in the air - my favourite place in the world is 37,000 feet."

Tom Bowe
Like Nikki, Tom Bowe also worked at the Harrogate Nightingale before joining the district hospital.

He finished a Masters Degree in Chemistry last May, but couldn't get a job in the field he wants to work in.

"I haven't been able to graduate yet because of the pandemic," he says.

"Because of coronavirus there's no jobs around for someone without experience."

'It's opened my eyes'


But Tom says he's wanted to make himself useful, and is now working as a porter and facilities assistant, which he says involves a bit of "everything".

"I've probably changed 40 or 50 bins so far today," he tells us - as he changes another one.

He says the work has been tough, but also been valuable life experience.

"It's definitely given me a different perspective to what's really going on, and opened my eyes to other jobs as well".

Faith Waddell
Physiotherapist Faith Waddell also found herself on the front line, unexpectedly, when she graduated last summer.

"I was redeployed to work in Intensive Care, which was scary and daunting at first," she says.

'I'd never even been in ICU before working there, so it was a fast learning curve and we had to step up'

"It was the case for a lot of us though, and we get each other through it."

'We live off the good moments'


Faith says even though it's been a tough - and unexpected start to her career - there's also a more positive side to her job too.

"Our focus is getting people up and moving, and eventually home."

And sometimes there's the opportunity to reunite families, or couples who've both been admitted with Covid, but are on separate wards.

"Just the other day we managed to get a woman to her husband and he really picked up after her visit and was even walking today.

"That change is lovely to see - we live off those moments to get us through the day."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Tesla Secures Approval to Supply Electricity Directly to Homes Across Britain
Prince William Delivers Tribute to Australia’s Naval Alliance Amid Renewed Royal Spotlight on the Country
UK Foreign Secretary Travels to Saudi Arabia to Reinforce Support for Regional Allies
Putin’s ‘Hidden Hand’ May Be Assisting Iran in Conflict With Trump, UK Defence Secretary Warns
UK Sets April Deadline for Tech Platforms to Strengthen Online Protections for Children
Elon Musk Moves Into Britain’s Energy Market as Tesla Wins Licence to Supply Power
UK Watchdog Warns Fuel Retailers Against Profiteering Amid Iran War Price Surge
Report Claims Iran Used UK Charity Network to Expand Influence
United States and United Kingdom Establish Joint Standards for Counter-Drone Technology
Iran May Be Laying Naval Mines in Strait of Hormuz, UK Warns Amid Escalating Gulf Tensions
US Deploys Bunker-Buster Bombs to UK Airbase as Iran Conflict Intensifies
British Troops in Iraq Intercept Iranian Drones Targeting Coalition Base
Release of Mandelson Files Raises Tensions as UK Seeks Stable Relations With Donald Trump
UK Documents Reveal Starmer Was Warned About Mandelson’s Epstein Links Before Ambassador Appointment
Nearly Five Hundred UK Mortgage Deals Withdrawn in Two Days as Market Volatility Forces Lenders to Reprice
Three Cargo Ships Hit Near Iran as Attacks Spread to Strategic Strait of Hormuz
Why British Police Repeatedly Declined to Investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s UK Links
UK Parliament Ends Hereditary Seats in House of Lords, Closing Chapter on Centuries of Aristocratic Lawmaking
EU and UK Urge Israel to Act Against Rising West Bank Settler Violence Amid Regional Tensions
US Senator John Kennedy Says Keir Starmer Should Not Be Trusted for Military Advice Amid Iran War Debate
UK High Court Rejects Attempt to Revive Terrorism Charge Against Kneecap Rapper
Revolut Secures Full UK Banking Licence After Multi-Year Regulatory Wait
Kentucky’s Bench Boost Powers Wildcats Past LSU in SEC Tournament Opener
British Couple Die After Being Pulled From Water at Australian Beach During Family Visit
Global Energy Agency Announces Record Release of 400 Million Barrels to Stabilize Oil Markets Amid Hormuz Disruption
British Airways Suspends UK Repatriation Flights as Middle East Travel Disruption Deepens
US Forces Prepare Ordnance at RAF Fairford as Strategic Bombers Deploy for Middle East Operations
Nigel Farage Faces Criticism After Saying Britain Should Stay Out of Iran War
Landmark UK Trial Begins Over Sony’s PlayStation Store Pricing
UK High Court Rejects Bid to Challenge Britain’s Chagos Islands Agreement With Mauritius
Finnish Duo Triumphs in England’s Annual Wife-Carrying Race, Winning a Barrel of Ale
How U.S. and UK National Security Strategies Are Reshaping the Global Business Landscape
Green Party Gains Momentum as Labour Shifts Toward the Political Centre
Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon Sets Sail for Eastern Mediterranean as Regional Tensions Rise
UK Homebuilder Persimmon Warns Iran Conflict Could Dent Property Buyer Confidence
Roman Abramovich Signals Legal Fight if UK Seeks to Seize Chelsea Sale Funds
UK Ready to Back Emergency Oil Reserve Release as Middle East Conflict Pushes Prices Higher
Study of 40,000 Articles Sparks Debate Over Alleged Anti-Muslim Bias in UK Media
US and UK Army Chiefs Strengthen Cooperation on the Future of Armored Warfare
Britain’s Search for the Next ARM Intensifies as Startups and Investors Target the Semiconductor Frontier
Three US Strategic Bombers Arrive at RAF Fairford as Iran Conflict Intensifies
Cancer Death Rates in the UK Fall to the Lowest Level on Record
UK Government Bond Yields Retreat Slightly After Sharp Spike Triggered by Middle East Conflict
UK Chancellor Warns Middle East War Could Push Inflation Higher
UK Prime Minister Warns Iran Conflict Could Drive Up Prices and Threaten Economic Stability
Trump Declines UK Offer to Deploy Aircraft Carriers to Middle East Amid Iran Conflict
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Return to Australia After Seven Years for Philanthropic and Business Engagements
UK Government Signals Independence From Washington as Cooper Says Britain Does Not Agree With Trump on Every Issue
UK Experts Warn AI Chatbots Are Fueling Surge in Claims of Organised ‘Satanic’ Ritual Abuse
UK Political Parties Divided Over Strategy as Iran Conflict Reshapes Foreign Policy Debate
×