High standards in NHS still due to intelligence of staff from abroad

THE NHS was founded, against furious Tory opposition, after World War II, when most of us felt a huge sense of gratitude to those who had come across the world from many countries, to save us, often at the cost of their lives.

British governments never set up sufficient facilities to educate and train enough British citizens to staff the NHS, so we were always tremendously grateful to those citizens of foreign countries whose skills kept the NHS from falling apart. We only kept the high standards, because we, the British people, depended on intelligent and dedicated foreigners, and that is still true, 70 years after the NHS was created.

But then, a large proportion of British voters resurrected that minority prejudice against foreigners, Irish, West Indians, most clearly exhibited by the despicable speeches of Tory MP Enoch Powell, which has since steadily grown to the level of Brexit, ‘We don’t want any foreigners coming here, (unless they are very rich), because we want to be a sovereign nation, modestly superior about how marvellous we are.’ Once more, England chose the ignorant prejudice of Brexit Conservatism.

So, many European citizens left Britain, to return where they were truly valued. And the pandemic came, so that the NHS staff, of all nations, sacrificed themselves in ways that Brexiteers will never comprehend.

We stood in the street and clapped for them, undervalued, unappreciated, and still the best and highest of us all.

C N Westerman

by email