Frontline healthcare workers at Slough's Wexham Park Hospital are being treated to a 'first class lounge' experience by cabin crew and pilots who have been furloughed or made redundant during the global health pandemic.

The crews, working as part of a national programme called Project Wingman, are visiting hospitals across the country.

This week they set up a lounge at Wexham Park that will be open seven days a week where hospital staff can unwind and de-stress before, during or after shifts by chatting to crew members or musing over a glossy magazine while enjoying a cup of tea or coffee.

Captain Stephanie Bloxidge, project leader at what has been nicknamed Project Wingman said: “There are a lot of furloughed airline staff at the moment, so we thought ‘Why not create a nice space for the NHS staff during this time?’

“It’s a nice escape for them. They can be looked after and it’s a rare opportunity to be served a cup of tea by a pilot or cabin crew and not talk about Covid for 10 minutes while they have a break.”

Janet King, director of human resources and corporate services, at Frimley Health Foundation Trust that runs Wexham Park, said: “We are extremely grateful to Project Wingman for providing these relaxing spaces in our hospitals for our staff. The buzz that they have created has been absolutely incredible.

“These spaces complement the additional work that we are doing as a Trust to look after our staff during these challenging times. This includes providing a 24/7 helpline that staff can call for psychological, wellbeing or pastoral support, and a dedicated staff wellbeing team.”

The trust has also produced guidance for managers about how they can support the psychological wellbeing of staff and provides links to a range of appropriate external organisations and resources, including wellbeing apps.