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‘Come on the nurses, I’m on your side!’ says Rod Stewart

Sir Rod speaks out on conditions in the NHS that are ‘heartbreaking for the nurses’, and calls on the government to stand down ‘and give Labour a go’

Sir Rod speaks out on conditions in the NHS that are ‘heartbreaking for the nurses’, and calls on the government to stand down ‘and give Labour a go’

Sir Rod Stewart does want to talk about it. Picture: Alamy

Rock star Rod Stewart has voiced his support for striking nurses, calling for the government to stand down over the ‘heartbreaking’ NHS crisis.

In a spontaneous interview on Your Say on Sky News, the Maggie May singer said although he was a Conservative voter, the situation is ‘so bad’ the government should step aside ‘and give Labour a go’.

‘In all my years of living in this country, I’ve never seen it so bad’

Sir Rod then offered to pay for 20 patient’s scans in private hospitals to help with the huge backlog of NHS diagnostic scans. Asked if he backed striking nurses he said: ‘Absolutely, they’re not asking for a great deal.

‘I personally have been a Tory for a long time but I think this government should stand down now and give the Labour party a go at it, because this is heartbreaking for the nurses,’ he told the programme.

‘In all my years of living in this country, I’ve never seen it so bad. Come on the nurses, I’m on your side.’

Sir Rod highlights huge disparity between private and NHS services

His unscheduled appearance was prompted after hearing people’s stories of struggling to access health services. In contrast, the rock star described a recent visit to a private health clinic for a scan, which he said was ‘empty’. He added: ‘There are people out there dying because they cannot get scans.’

His support comes after weeks of historic strikes by NHS staff, with RCN members taking strike action for the first time in most of the UK. The NHS is gearing up for its biggest day of strike action in history on 6 February when RCN members and ambulance workers are due to walk out.

This week NHS physiotherapists joined nurses and paramedics to become the latest staff group to stage industrial action.

‘I can’t stand it being this way’

Sir Rod said: ‘This is a bad time for us in Great Britain, it really is. Change the bl**dy government... It’s just terribly sad. I’m so proud to be British and I can’t stand it being this way.’

Viewers were told to get in touch with Sky News to get a scan paid for by Sir Rod.


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