A well-respected emergency doctor at a Worcester hospital is trapped with his family in Sudan as NHS bosses work towards his safe return.

Gunfire and shelling have been reported in the war-ravaged African country despite a ceasefire after fighting first broke out on Saturday, April 15.

One emergency doctor, who works at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester, is still trapped there. 

 

The acute trust leaders, who manage Worcestershire Royal Hospital, said they have been in touch with Worcester's MP Robin Walker and the secretary of state to do all they can to ensure the safe return of the doctor, who has not been named.

Worcester News: VALUED: The emergency doctor is valued at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester VALUED: The emergency doctor is valued at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester (Image: Newsquest)

Matthew Hopkins, Chief Executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We are aware that one of our well-respected Emergency Medicine doctors is currently stuck in Sudan with his family.

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"Colleagues at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust are all incredibly concerned for his safety.

"I have written to the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs as well as our local MP Robin Walker to urge that they do all they can to ensure his safe return as soon as possible.”

Worcester News: People exit a British military transport aircraft in Cyprus as people are evacuated from Sudan People exit a British military transport aircraft in Cyprus as people are evacuated from Sudan (Image: AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Divisional director urgent care and emergency consultant David Raven said on Twitter: "Our WRH ED Clinical Lead has written to the Home Office about one of our ED Registrars who is stuck in Sudan.

"We are just hoping he and his family get back safely and govt progress efforts to help people escape."

In other developments, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned there is a "high risk of biological hazard" after fighters seized a laboratory believed to be holding samples of diseases, including polio and measles.

British families are now on rescue flights out of Sudan, making the 3,000-mile journey to safety, some having to make the dangerous journey across the capital, Khartoum, during a fragile ceasefire to reach the airfield.