A total of 517 patients have made a successful recovery from Covid-19 and been discharged home - thanks to the care of heroic staff at the Royal Free London. And one ward has come up with a special way to celebrate.

Since the start of the outbreak 517 patients have been discharged back home or to their place of residence from Barnet Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital.

In the past week (Monday to Sunday) a total of 132 recovered Covid-19 patients were discharged.

Deborah Sanders, chief executive of Barnet Hospital and Royal Free London group chief nursing officer, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to see so many of our patients, many of whom have been extremely poorly, go back to their homes and their families. I’d also like to thank our staff for their incredible work during these difficult times.”

Kate Slemeck, chief executive of the Royal Free Hospital, said: “Our staff tell us that seeing patients go home gives a great feeling of positivity and pleasure. Staff are also very aware that not every family will get their loved one home but recognise the importance of celebrating stories of recovery to give people real hope during these very challenging times.”

Staff working on a care of the elderly ward at the Royal Free Hospital are celebrating every time a patient is discharged by pinning a butterfly to a mural of a dementia care tree painted on a wall of the department. And the tree is rapidly filling up.

Chito Gabutin, ward manager, said: “Our elderly patients, many of whom have had Covid-19, are still fighting, still recovering and they are still going home. This wall of butterflies has really caught people’s attention. No-one wants to be in hospital and it’s the best feeling when you get to go home. I think that this really captures that feeling and at this time especially it feels like an incredibly hopeful message.”