An LBC caller has opened up about the moment her Brexit-voting uncle “did a 180” after he was treated by non-UK nationals in hospital.
Speaking to James O’Brien, caller Emma said she had a Leave-voting relative who was hospitalized with leukaemia before Christmas, saying the incident opened his eyes to immigration in the NHS.
Recent NHS data shows that across all NHS staff in England (1.4 million), more than 17 per cent (264,815) are from overseas.
Percentages for nurses are much higher – nearly 27 per cent of NHS nurses are from outside the UK (99,856 of the 372,605 nurses and health visitors recorded).
Despite hospital waits being used as an attack line from the Vote Leave camp, you are far more likely to be seen by an international doctor or nurse than having someone from abroad in front of you in the queue.
Unfortunately, that bit wasn’t on the Brexit bus.
Related: Richard Tice phones into Brexit TV debate… it does not go well
