Kate Garraway became involved in a discussion with Emily Thornberry over NHS treatment
(Picture: ITV)Kate Garraway has detailed her seriously-ill husband Derek Draper’s hospital treatment at the height of the Covid crisis in a discussion with Labour MP Emily Thornberry on Thursday’s Good Morning Britain.
The former Labour spin doctor is one of the UK’s longest-suffering patients of Covid. The 55-year-old first became ill in March 2020 and spent 13 months in hospital before finally being allowed to return home, where he receives round-the-clock care.
Previously, the broadcaster, 55, has said how Draper would have died in three days if he was left untreated in hospital.
The former I’m A Celeb star was joined on Thursday’s GMB by Shadow Attorney General, MP Emily Thornberry, where the pair debated the use of private hospitals by the NHS against a backdrop of strike action and overflowing hospitals.
Ms Thornberry denied suggestions this was the beginning of "privatisation" of the NHS.
Sharing her experience, Garraway became emotional when she explained how her husband had initially been treated in a private hospital, under the care of the NHS, throughout the pandemic as there was no space in an NHS hospital.
She said: “At that time, in effect, everything was nationalised. All private hospitals had to take NHS patients at the cost of an NHS patient.
“And he went in. But after a while the private hospitals said they couldn’t make it pay and therefore it came to an end - it reverted back.
“So what was the argument against that?”
The TV presenter then explained how Draper was moved back to the NHS and said the “argument against” it would be that those paying for private healthcare “wouldn’t be able to jump queues.”
Sharing her stance on the topic, MP Thornberry simply said: “My priority is the NHS”.
To which Garraway replied: “I know but that’s the solution. If you are going to pay for some people to go to private hospitals what about doing it for everybody?”
Despite Garraway’s impassioned questions, Thornberry did not comment, instead claiming Labour had plans to recruit more staff to the NHS.
Over the summer, Draper was again hospitalised after he contracted life-threatening sepsis and was rushed into intensive care.
In December, the ITV star said that there “is no end point” to his care and explained that her new normal can be “exhausting” for those around her.
