Kate Josephs: Sheffield widow whose husband died alone calls for her to resign

Elaine Bird and her son and daughter were unable to be with her husband John, as he died in hospital in July 2020, the same month that Sheffield Council’s current chief executive Kate Josephs became director general of the Covid-19 taskforce in her former role.

Last week Kate Josephs released a statement apologising and admitted she attended her own leaving drinks at the Cabinet Office on December 17, 2020.

At that time London was under tier three restrictions which meant people were banned from mixing with anyone from outside their own household or support bubble. Work Christmas lunches or parties were not permitted.

But John Bird, who had cancer, was rushed to hospital in an ambulance on July 27 that year and died in hospital the next day aged 78, without any of his family being able to be by his side.

Because of the rules in place at the time, Elaine was not allowed to travel to the hospital with John and he died before a visit could be arranged.

Elaine, aged 79, said: “My husband died alone in hospital. It was unexpected and my children and I never got to say goodbye or tell him how much we loved him. “This has made my grief even more unbearable, thinking of him there on his own, he hated being alone.

"I'm not even certain he understood that I wasn't allowed in the hospital. What if he thought we just didn't care?”

Elaine and John were married for 58 years, and ran the Birds Opticians on Surrey Street where he had worked for 30 years.

They lived in Millthorpe, close to Owler Bar and Totley.

Josephs was the director general of the Covid-19 Taskforce restrictions for the Cabinet Office from July until December 2020.

A source told the Sheffield Telegraph last year that Kate Josephs had attended a party when lockdown restrictions were in place in December 2020.

But in response to our enquiries Sheffield Council only said she ‘categorically did not attend a party at Downing Street.’

Elaine contacted the Sheffield Telegraph after Kate’s revelations to share her heart-breaking story and say that she should resign from Sheffield Council as her actions showed a lack of respect, pleading: “Kate, just go.”

She added: “She must have known the rules upside down, inside out and back to front. Her position is probably more untenable than anybody else’s.

"How can you make a sincere apology for something that you knew was wrong? I think that people who are looking for an excuse to break the rules will find a very good excuse in Kate Josephs and Boris Johnson.

"And that is very sad because it will not help the situation at all.

“You are supposed to lead by example. It is absolutely egregious. It’s another way of them sticking two fingers up to us.

"If it was one of my employees I would have sacked them.”