Katie Tomkins - Mortuary & Post Mortem Services Manager at West Hertfordshire NHS Trust by Roxana Halls

Roxana says: "It has been a true privilege to paint Katie. To say that she has is a hero can't begin to convey her extraordinary valiance, determination and tenderness in such challenging times. I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to know of her through the Portraits for NHS Heroes enterprise and even more so to have been asked to create this image which will will be hung on permanent public display, giving others the chance to know this incredible woman and all that she herself has given."

Natalie Miles-Kemp says: "West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust is very proud to nominate Katie Tomkins to sit for a portrait by artist Roxana Halls as part of #portraitsforNHSheroes​. Her nomination recognises outstanding leadership through the Covid-19 crisis, which has pushed Katie and her team to the very edge of their professional limits.

Unlike nurses and doctors who are the public face of the NHS, Katie is behind the scenes, ensuring that even in death our patients receive dignity, respect and the best care every day.

Mortuary is a very physical and mentally demanding area to work in and Katie has worked around the clock to keep the service going. Nothing she had experienced before prepared her for the events of Covid-19. It was incredibly telling of her kindness and care that when asked what she found most personally challenging, she answered that it was that families of the deceased could no longer come to the mortuary. Relatives, families and carers can take comfort that someone with her qualities was there to look after their loved ones.

Katie is highly qualified and passionate about her field of work. She is a young woman with a unique identity which likely challenges what some people might assume to be the typical NHS professional. The portrait takes a strident pose of Katie in her PPE, behind which her tattoos and body art give a glimpse of the face behind the mask. West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust is enormously proud to have such a talented, caring and dedicated team of staff. We are #TeamWestHerts."