A nurse has died with coronavirus after spending nearly 40 years in the job.

Philomina Cherian, 63, died on April 30 at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital where she also worked as a staff nurse.

Ms Cherian was married and had three children and, according to her family, she was planning to retire in a couple of years’ time.

“She was a great human being, a caring mother and wife,” her husband Joseph Varkey said.

“She was a dedicated nurse. For her, nursing was not just a profession but it was her passion.

“She would have lived for so many years and enjoyed her well-deserved retired life if she was not affected by Covid.”

Ms Cherian, originally from Kerala in India, worked as a nurse in Saudi Arabia before moving to the UK.

A statement from Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) said of Ms Cherian: “She was a popular and hugely valued member of our OUH nursing family who will be sorely missed by her colleagues as well as by her family and friends.”

Sam Foster, chief nursing officer, said: “I wanted to express that at this very sad time our thoughts are with the family of Philomina, as well as with her friends and colleagues throughout the Trust.

“She was an incredibly caring friend and colleague who will be terribly missed by us all.

“Many of you will have known her and worked closely with her and I ask you to remember how she wonderfully cared for her patients and her colleagues, acting as an exemplar nurse to all who met her.

“Philomina was cared for with the utmost love, care and attention and we would like to thank all staff who were involved in her care.”

A fundraising page has been set up to help cover the costs of Ms Cherian’s memorial.