Rod Stewart has called a live phone-in segment on Sky News to offer to pay for people to have hospital scans, amid the rising numbers on the waiting lists of Britain's NHS.
"There are people dying because they cannot get scans."
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 26, 2023
Singer @RodStewart offers to fund scans for a number of patients stuck on long NHS waiting lists, after recently attending a private clinic which was "empty".#NHSinCrisis: https://t.co/w55c3Wj7xf
📺 Sky 501 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/5JTHQViw8y
The singer-songwriter, 78, who was watching the segment Your Say on Thursday while building his model railway at home, made the unscheduled appearance after he heard people's stories of trying to access healthcare.
He said the situation was "ridiculous", compared with him being able to afford private healthcare and going for a scan easily at an "empty" clinic.
He told the programme: "I would like to pay for 10 or 20 scans, or however much it takes.
"I don't know how we're (going to) work this out and, hopefully, some other people will follow, because it seems ridiculous that this particular scanning clinic was empty.
"There are people dying because they cannot get scans.
"I don't need the publicity. I just want to do some good things and this, I think, it's a good thing, because if other people follow me, I'd love it."
🗣️ 'In all my years in this country I've never seen it so bad...change the bloody government.' - @rodstewart
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 26, 2023
During a live phone-in on Sky News Sir Rod Stewart says: "This government should stand down now and give the Labour Party a go".
Read more: https://t.co/SRBpbZl51Y pic.twitter.com/xSEj3VCFKk
The UK's nurses, ambulance staff and other NHS workers have taken strike action in recent months, with more walkouts planned in the coming weeks.
Stewart, who is a Conservative voter, also called for the NHS to be "rebuilt" with "billions" of pounds.
He continued: "I personally have been a Tory for a long time, but I think this government should stand out now and give the Labour Party a go at it, because this is heart-breaking for the nurses.
"It really is heart-breaking. In all my years of living in this country, I've never seen it so bad and anything I could do to help.
"Poor nurses, I'm on your side."
Stewart also said: "This is a bad time for us in Great Britain, it really is. Change the bloody government.
"It's just terribly sad. I'm so proud to be British and I can't stand it being this way."
Sir @rodstewart tells @skysarahjane that he has "Sky News on in the background as he works on his model railway" before singing his song Maggie May to her live on TV.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 26, 2023
Latest: https://t.co/IsOFHh0VK6
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/8466lCayg4
Viewers were told to get in touch with Sky News to get a scan paid for by Stewart.
Source: Press Association
