Press release on behalf of Keep Our NHS Public – for Immediate Use:
NHS Staff complete a banner drop off Westminster Bridge
To mark health campaigning organisation Keep Our NHS Public’s Winter Crisis National Day of Action yesterday, members of NHS staff and campaigners completed a banner drop off the side of Westminster bridge to draw public attention to the worst winter crisis on record.
A banner with the words ‘NHS staff say don’t blame our patients! Winter crisis is the government’s crisis; 5449 died waiting on hospital trolleys’ was draped over the railings on Westminster bridge at lunchtime yesterday to highlight the important message. Their stunt attracted much attention from passers by and was a talking point in the local area.
The banner specifically references a study conducted by emergency medicine doctors Dr Chris Moulton and Dr Cliff Mann in December which found that there had been 5,449 avoidable patient deaths as a direct result of waiting for too long on trolleys for medical attention. This has struck a chord with hard-working and increasingly burnt out NHS staff who are demanding proper funding, increased staffing and an end once and for all to this seemingly perpetual crisis.
Dr Tony O’Sullivan, retired consultant paediatrician and Co-Chair of Keep Our NHS Public who participated in yesterday’s banner drop says:
“Now more than ever it is crucially important that NHS staff make their voices heard. There exists so little opportunity for us to voice our feelings around the subject, and this was an act of solidarity with all who work in the NHS at every level, to literally tell the public we have had enough of the way this government treats both NHS staff and its patients. Both patients and staff are tragically dying unnecessarily thanks to the environment the Conservative’s have created. The blame for this manufactured crisis lies squarely at the governments door and they must act immediately to save lives.”
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For photographs please contact KONP press officer Samantha Wathen [email protected] or call her on 07776047472
Spokespeople are available for broadcast interview.
Notes to editors
For further general information about Keep Our NHS Public’s Day of Action please see: https://keepournhspublic.com/
For more information on the avoidable trolley deaths study please see: https://www.theguardian.com/