WAR CRANE GIRL, 99, BEATS BUG
the Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care to remove NHS and care workers from the NHS surcharge as soon as possible. Work is underway on how to implement the change.
“As the PM said in the House of Commons, he has been thinking about this a great deal.
“He has been a personal beneficiary of carers from abroad and understands the difficulties faced by our amazing NHS staff.
“The purpose of the NHS surcharge is to benefit the NHS, help to care for the sick and save lives.
“NHS and care workers from abroad who are granted visas are doing this already by the fantastic contribution which they make.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said during the Downing Street briefing: “The Prime Minister has asked the Home Secretary and I to work on how we can remove NHS and care workers from the NHS surcharge as soon as possible.
“I’m very pleased to do that and we’ll be saying more on how we do this in the next few days.”
A Tory rebellion had been growing yesterday, as three chairmen of Commons select committees and a string of backbenchers urged Mr Johnson to think again.
A YouGov poll also revealed 58 per cent of Britons believe that migrant social care workers should not have to pay to use the NHS.
The Royal College of Nursing said the fee for a migrant nurse and two dependents is the equivalent to a month’s wages.
Sir Keir said: “Boris Johnson is right to have U-turned and backed our proposal to remove the NHS charge for health professionals and care workers.
“We cannot clap our carers one day and then charge them to use our NHS the next.” MP Sir Roger Gale,
A GRAN who was our first female wartime crane driver has beaten the virus – just in time to celebrate turning 100.
Ethel Booker, 99, says that experience helped her to not let Covid-19 beat her and now is looking forward to a birthday party next month.
The pensioner started to feel unwell in April but staff at Wood Hill Grange care home in Sheffield nursed her back to health with her favourite milkshakes.
Yesterday Ethel said: “I had a difficult start to life. When I was born my parents were told I would never walk, so when I did it came as a big surprise to everyone, including the doctors.
“I then went on to be the first women crane driver in my effort to help in the war.
“So with Covid-19, I felt like I took it in my stride. I had a few days where I was feeling tired and off my food, but then I began to feel better.
“Now I am over it and looking forward to my 100th birthday next month.”
one of the most vocal Conservative rebels, said: “It is a humane and a generous decision.”
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee chairman William Wragg, who was one of the most prominent Tory figures in the revolt, said: “I’m very grateful to Boris Johnson who has shown true leadership, listened and reflected.
“Thank you to him and to my colleagues for their strong representations.” The U-turn came
hours after Downing Street insisted the PM was standing by the levy.
It also came a day after another U-turn when the Government extended a scheme offering indefinite leave to remain to the families of all NHS staff who die as a result of contracting coronavirus.
Care workers, cleaners and porters had originally been left out of the scheme, which only applied to certain occupations including nurses, biochemists and radiographers.