An intensive care nurse says she will "never forget" seeing a roll of 100 body bags being delivered during the first Covid wave.

West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust have released a video on Facebook where hospital staff share their experiences of working in hospital during the first national lockdown.

Watford General Hospital was one of the hardest hit hospitals during the peak of the pandemic and was one of just a couple to declare a critical incident after oxygen systems began reaching maximum capacity in early April.

Crystal Wilson, an intensive care unit nurse said she felt "utterly helpless" when treating coronavirus patients.

She said: "In ICU I feel like we can do almost anything. We can keep you alive even on the edge of life and death, we can keep you there most of the time.

"There are machines and medications we can use but none of it made a difference, I felt utterly helpless. It felt like we were battling for people's lives."

Ms Wilson continued and said members of staff who tested positive were also cared for in the ICU she was working in.

She added: "That was so challenging. Something I'll never forget is normally we get body bags delivered and they come five or six at a time.

Harrow Times:

Crystal Wilson. Credit: WHHT

"In the peak they came on a roll - a hundred of them and I'll never forget that just seeing the roll of body bags. It will stay with me forever."

Theresa Maunganidze, a surgical care practitioner who also worked at the staff testing facility spoke about swabbing people for Covid and said she felt vulnerable during that time.

She added: "Thinking back to my experience during the first wave, I was a fish out of water. We started a new thing which is called swabbing, I never swabbed anyone for Covid before.

"At the time it felt like having Covid was a death sentence, it was terrifying knowing that someone had tested positive. At the first wave we were testing staff more than we were testing patients.

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Theresa Maunganidze. Credit: WHHT

"What kept me motivated during the time was the staff morale, I was working with staff from radiology so we were all moved from our comfort zones and everyone was able to help each other and keep their spirits up. It really supported us and kept us going. We're all heroes but we need each other to keep going."

Later in the video, Irene Hepburn, the learning and developer facilitator, who also helped by delivering donations, spoke about the large volume of donated items that were being stored at Watford FC.

She added: "I think just seeing that volume of donated items just makes you kind of remember that people are nice and kind and restores your faith in human nature."

The trust's chief executive, Christine Allen, thanked all the staff at the trust and called the two members in the video "brave and honest" for talking about their time during the pandemic.