A nurse diagnosed with terminal cancer has vowed to use the days he has left to stop the Conservatives from “killing” the NHS.
David Bailey, a nurse for the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, has been working for the NHS for 35 years.
After being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in October and given a year to live, he said he is “determined” to “fight this Government tooth and nail.”
In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Mr Bailey said: “There has never been a more important time to stand up and protect our NHS. It is in crisis and I want to do my bit.
“The public needs to realise what’s happening. The Government is killing the NHS and steering us all towards privatisation of the health service.”
Mr Bailey told the paper: “I’m determined, with the life I have left in me, I will fight this Government tooth and nail.
“The care I’ve received has been fantastic. I love the NHS and I want that care to be in place for my children and grandchildren.”
He criticised the Government’s policy for a lack of qualified nursing staff: “I don’t blame the Trusts. I blame Tory policy.
“This is not just a winter crisis. It’s got worse in the last eight years. They introduce short term fixes, but they can only do that for so long.
He added: “The crisis is not because of an ageing population, that’s foreseeable and you plan for it. It’s nothing to do with immigration or health tourism. Immigrants are the bedrock of the NHS, from doctors to cleaners.
“This is the Government deflecting attention from themselves.”
