BRITAIN OWES YOU
Royals, celebs and leaders say thank you for sacrifice
THE nation united once more last night to honour our health service heroes – after the toughest four months in NHS history.
As frontline emergency workers were loudly applauded on the 72nd birthday of the service, senior figures demanded that their courageous efforts be rewarded with better pay.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge paid tribute to nurses, doctors, paramedics and auxiliary staff as they met with nurse Suzie Vaughan and her daughters Hettie, 7, and Bella, 9. A video of the family reuniting after nine weeks apart due to her work with Covid-19 patients was seen by millions last month.
It came amid reports NHS England has asked for an extra £10billion to cope with the costs of coronavirus.
The royal couple dropped in on a celebratory tea party at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in King’s Lynn, Norfolk.
In their first joint postlockdown engagement they met staff and volunteers in a marquee, marking 40 years of the hospital.
Kate told Suzie: “You did a really good job. It’s amazing how everybody pulled together.” Wills told Suzie and chief nurse Libby McManus: “Everyone appreciated what you do. The NHS is a fantastic organisation.” Kate added: “We miss this. You forget how much you like to make relationships.” Wills said: “We don’t know what we’d have done without Zoom. We spoke to Canada, New Zealand, everywhere.”
The 5pm tribute was broadcast live on several TV channels, with David Beckham among stars saying thanks.
A Spitfire with the message “Thank U NHS” painted on it flew over NHS hospitals, finishing over Cambridge, and the Royal Navy at their Clyde base in Scotland joined the celebration.
In Cardiff, crowds of emergency workers led the applause, while at St George’s Hospital, in South London, staff gathered on the roof. And staff at
Airedale Hospital, West Yorks also marked its 50th anniversary.
Annemarie Plas, who was behind ClapforCarers which ran for 10 weeks on Thursdays, joined Boris Johnson outside No10.
She said: “We don’t know what lies ahead, so if we can have this one moment where we say thank you and recharge our batteries for what may be a heavier time, then I think that’s a beautiful moment.”
The PM also met with nurse Luis Pitarma and Ward Sister Jenny McGee, who cared for him when he was in intensive care with Covid-19, at the No10 garden. NHS England chief Sir Simon Stevens called for 1.3million health
We don’t know what lies ahead, so this one moment is beautiful
ANNEMARIE PLAS THE CLAPFORCARERS FOUNDER
social care staff to be “properly rewarded”. He said: “For the NHS there will be a sense of relief, having come through this huge first spike of patients, but people have been working incredibly hard.
“The NHS is hugely grateful for all the support it has received.”
Sir Simon said he was concerned the NHS had enough money to cover the cost of maintaining extra beds, PPE and a flu vaccination campaign.
“What I’ve done is ask that there be necessary funding for the extra costs of coronavirus. That’s the commitment the Chancellor gave in March and I have to tell you he’s delivered on it,” he said.
In an interview, Health Secretary Matt Hancock raised hopes ministers would agree to give staff a boost, saying: “We absolutely want to reward NHS staff for what they have done.”
Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds warned that without sufficient funds the NHS risked the “nightmare” scenario of being overwhelmed. Unions have called on the Governand ment for talks to begin on a pay rise as a three-year deal agreed in 2018 draws to an end. The RCN has calculated the average salary for a nurse has fallen by 8% in real terms since 2010.
And the Mirror’s Give NHS Heroes a Medal campaign has been backed by leading politicians and celebrities.
Lib Dem leadership candidate Layla Moran said: “Nurses and care workers need more than a round of applause, they need a decent wage.”
Prince Charles called staff “remarkable” after providing treatment for
more than 100,000 patients with the virus. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said his late mother was a nurse and relied on the NHS as she became ill. He said: “It’s very personal. She loved the NHS through the many decades she absolutely depended on them.”
Candlelit vigils were held on Saturday to remember more than 44,000 people who have died after testing positive for Covid-19 in the UK, with landmarks also illuminated.