A nurse who works in a Sutton care home has died after contracting coronavirus.

Rahima Bibi Sidhanee, of Grennell Lodge Nursing Home, died last week, on April 12.

The nurse who worked at the care home for over 30 years, has been described by her colleagues as a 'wonderful human being'.

Rahima trained at Edgware General Hospital in the 1970s and was a registered nurse and midwife with nearly 50 years of experience.

Danny Shamtally, director of Care Unlimited, which operates the privately-owned care home, raised his concerns about the lack of testing for staff in the social care sector.

He said there was an "urgent need" for testing of care home staff as he remembered Ms Sidhanee as a friend who was dedicated to her profession.

Danny Shamtally said: "Our family recollection of her is of a person of extreme kindness, selflessness and impeccable loyalty and integrity.

"Rahima loved nursing and the people she cared for, their happiness was of great importance to her.

"She would go above and beyond in her delivery of care.

"In 30 years of service, there has never been any reproach about her care and professionalism.

"She was always calm and collected, with a subtle sense of humour.

"Most importantly, her residents spoke highly of her.

"There is so much one can say about this wonderful human being.

"We have lost an exemplary professional, a caring mother and a very good friend taken from us far too early."

Mr Shamtally went onto further say, she was a “very good cook” who made Caribbean and Indian food for residents in her spare time.

He said that she trained with "old school values" and would ensure that her residents were "clean, well-presented and comfortable".

Talking about the lack of testing Mr Shamtally said: "Whilst the home Rahima worked for appears without testing to be virus-free.

“We feel strongly that the lack of appropriate testing for staff and residents.

"It leaves many care homes like ours in a position where we do not know if staff are emergent or asymptomatic carriers of the virus.

"Judging by the increasing numbers of care homes reporting residents and staff dying with the virus, there is an urgent need for adequate testing."

Mr Shamtally has voiced his concerns about the lack of testing to NHS Sutton Clinical Commissioning group and social services.