NHS Staff Call For Boris Johnson To Go In Downing Street Protest

NHS staff called for Boris Johnson to go at a Downing Street protest last (Thursday) night.

The protest - which was planned to coincide with the Clap For Heroes at 8pm - saw five campaigners in PPE hold a banner which read: "You failed the public, You failed the NHS, Boris must go."

PA

According to the Evening Standard, ICU nurse Ameera Sheikh told reporters: "It's been very difficult, very challenging.

"We're stressed out and very anxious, there's a lot of PTSD amongst staff, staff are going off sick ... leaving nurses very short, which increases the risk of patients deteriorating and ultimately patients dying."

She went on to blame the 'terrible position' on a lack of planning by the Government.

She said: "This is the Government's fault, they need to take responsibility, they need to provide us with better pay and better working conditions.

"It's 8pm, it's Thursday, it's Clap for Carers, whilst we appreciate the claps that the public are doing and some of them are staying at home, we do not appreciate our Government clapping for us because essentially they are the reason why we are in this position.

"They've not planned at all and they've had months to plan ahead and they've left us in such a terrible position."

Police arrived at the scene around five minutes after the protest began and the campaigners then dispersed.

PA

This is not the first time NHS staff have indicated that proper support and adherence to the rules would mean a lot more to them than a public clap.

Earlier this month, palliative care doctor Rachel Clarke urged her Twitter followers: "Please don't clap us. Just wear a mask, wash your hands and respect lockdown."

It comes as England's Chief Medical Officer has warned that the NHS faces the 'most dangerous situation' in living memory.

Topics: UK News, Coronavirus, NHS, Boris Johnson, Politics, Health, Covid-19

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey