Jeremy Hunt 'not fit to wear' an NHS badge, says consultant

Updated

Jeremy Hunt is "not fit to wear" an NHS badge because his "militant" politics are destroying the health service, an A&E consultant has claimed.

Dr Rob Galloway, who works at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, said he was "blood boiling angry" after reading a letter sent by the Health Secretary thanking health workers for keeping patients safe during the junior doctors' strike last week.

In the letter, Mr Hunt said: "I would like to pay tribute to the NHS staff that have once again pulled out all the stops to keep services running effectively during industrial action."

He thanked the "dedicated" healthcare professionals who have "planned for weeks, worked long hours and pulled together to ensure services remained safe this week" and said they were a "credit to our world-class NHS".

But the letter published by the Department of Health angered Dr Galloway who questioned how the Secretary of State could write such a "nauseating" note.

"It's an embarrassing and pathetic letter made worse by the fact there is a picture of you on it wearing an NHS badge," Dr Galloway wrote in a Facebook post with a photograph of the letter.

"Any picture of you creates in me a Pavlovian response of upset. But this picture with an NHS badge on, has made my blood boil."

Dr Galloway demanded that Mr Hunt take the badge off his suit because he was at the helm of a "sinking" ship.

"You are not fit to wear it. You do not deserve to wear it. You demean and insult all of us who work and care about the NHS by wearing it.

"An NHS badge should be worn by someone who loves the NHS not someone who is at the helm whilst the NHS boat is sinking because of his leadership."

The post has been shared more than 7,000 times on Facebook and has received more than 3,000 likes.

In it, Dr Galloway also urged Mr Hunt to "stop, think and rethink" his policies, claiming that if he does not "patients will never forgive you".

He wrote: "Before it is too late and our NHS falls apart, please stop your madness. Now is time for conciliation and not escalation. Now is time to be reasonable and not a militant. Now is time to put our patients before your political ideology.

"If u really wanted to show your thanks to NHS staff and pay tribute to us, do that by resigning and apologising."

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