NHS surgeon is ‘flung out’ of his rented room by landlady who feared he would give her coronavirus

NHS surgeon, 43, is ‘flung out’ of his rented room by landlady who feared he would give her coronavirus

  • Joseph Alsousou, 43, said he was asked to leave house in Headington, Oxford
  • NHS surgeon was ‘nearly in tears’ as he drove back to family home in Merseyside
  • He said landlady wanted him to leave as soon as possible over coronavirus fears
  • Mr Alsousou found new lodgings as other hospital staff helped to cover his shifts
  • Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?

An NHS surgeon was left almost ‘in tears’ after being told to leave his rented room by a landlady who feared he would give her coronavirus.

Joseph Alsousou, 43, said he was asked to leave the house in Headington, Oxford, where he has been lodging on weekdays since August.

He is working between Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre and the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. 

Joseph Alsousou (pictured), 43, said he was asked to leave the house in Headington, Oxford, where he has been lodging on weekdays since August, over coronavirus fears

After he was asked to leave the accommodation, the surgeon said he drove three hours back to his family home in Merseyside ‘nearly in tears’.

Dr Alsousou said the landlady originally gave him 28-days notice via email last weekend because she was anxious he might bring the coronavirus into the home. 

On Monday, the surgeon tried to reassure her the virus was very low risk to her but when he returned to his room the following evening, he said she wanted him to leave as soon as he possibly could.

Dr Alsousou packed up his belongings and drove three hours back to his home in Heswall.

The surgeon added: ‘At that point, I could not see myself staying in the house.

‘I went home because I had nowhere else to stay. 

Dr Alsousou said he was 'nearly in tears' after packing up his belongings, pictured, and driving three hours back to his family home in Heswall, Merseyside

Dr Alsousou said he was ‘nearly in tears’ after packing up his belongings, pictured, and driving three hours back to his family home in Heswall, Merseyside 

‘I drove all the way back from Oxford to Wirral nearly in tears.’

Other members of staff had to help cover some of Mr Alsousou’s shifts while he searched for a new place to stay. He has since found new lodgings.

He said: ‘The lady I am now renting from said she would rather have a doctor in the house in this situation.’

A spokesperson for Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘NHS England and NHS Improvement have established a process for hard-working NHS staff to secure accommodation at hotels within their immediate area, if they have been affected by COVID-19 in some way.’