NHS workers already work long, gruelling hours to keep the nation well. And in case anyone remained unconvinced, they proved they are worth their weight in gold during the pandemic.
But now it’s believed thousands are selling their well-earned rest days to make ends meet under an official NHS scheme.
The system allows them to give up holiday time in return for extra cash – typically £100 before tax for a newly-qualified nurse.
It’s a sad indictment of the state of our nation that the rewards for such hard work are so paltry they don’t keep up with the soaring cost of living.
On top of the grubbiness of national heroes having money worries, there’s an issue of safety and wellbeing here.
Doctors and nurses do a physically and mentally demanding job. So time off to rest and reduce their stress levels is just as vital as the hours they put in at the hospital.
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If they can’t recharge their batteries, it leads to burnout – and burnout leads to frazzled staff getting fed up and leaving the NHS.
During the pandemic, millions of us spent so many Thursday nights on our doorsteps, cheering, clapping and banging saucepans to remind health and care workers of how much they mean to us.
Surely it’s time to give them something more than a round of applause.
Typical Boris
Boris Johnson has done nothing but bring shame on himself, his party and the country with his constant lies, scandals and foul-ups.
With fewer than 50 days to go before he’s booted out – hopefully for good – Johnson still has one last shot of leaving a decent legacy... his resignation honours list.
He could use it to bring in experts and geniuses into the House of Lords. He could choose to inject the upper chamber with front-line workers who understand what real life is like.
Maybe he could use it to improve the diversity of the predominantly pale, male and elderly upper chamber – where just 28% of peers are women and just 6% are from a minority ethnic background.
But what has he chosen to do? Stuff it with cronies and donors – including Ben Elliot, who has been criticised for his company having boasted about its links to the Russian elite.
Anyone who is honoured by him will be forever tainted by his time in office. But with a job for life and a £200-a-day allowance just for turning up, they probably don’t care.
Mo’s GB win
Thank goodness a row over his visa papers didn’t stop Sir Mo Farah returning to the UK as a teen.
But for an insistent coach, Mo could have been dispatched back to Germany – where he had represented Team GB.
And we could have missed out on one of our greatest ever athletes. It doesn’t matter where he came from – we’re glad he’s on our team.
