An NHS doctor has leaked the true story of what happens when Boris Johnson visits a hospital on the campaign trail.
The anonymous documents, which have been shared on social media, show that measures are taken to ensure a picture-perfect vision of Britain’s beleaguered health services, including paint jobs in the lead-up to visits and organised clean up operations.
Titled “What really happens when Boris Johnson visits your hospital”, the memo was described as “utterly devastating” by Politics.co.uk editor Ian Dunt.
It compared visits as being akin to “an abusive boyfriend visiting your home, asking “what can I do to help?”” and claimed the PM only met pre-approved staff.
This is the truth of what happens when @BorisJohnson visits your hospital. This has been written by an anonymous friend of mine. Please read. Please share. It is the truth about our #NHS – the lies cannot continue@JonAshworth @OwenJones84 @shaunjlawson @jonworth @IanDunt pic.twitter.com/NYTSKTi9BF
— Hindu Monkey (@HinduMonkey) November 25, 2019
Pouring tea
The revelations have been shared after Johnson was picture pouring tea for NHS staff during a tour of West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance.
According to the document these are “staged photos” which show the PM “pretending” to make tea and pour it out for the staff who have to drink it cold.
Johnson was quizzed by nurses on his visit to Penzance, with one saying she was “struggling” financially because of tuition fees, asking him about his plans to bring back the nursing bursary.
“We’re definitely bringing back the bursary … but I’ll have to check that (on tuition fees)”, the PM said.
50,000 new nurses
Another asked him about his commitment to deliver 50,000 new nurses, saying: “Where are these people going to come from?”
The PM replied: “I think we should have a programme of making sure that people who have grown up in this country have a career in nursing … we’ve also got to make sure that we are open to people from around the world, and we can do that and we’re going to have an immigration system that is points-based.”
Related: NHS lags behind other wealthy countries and ‘quality seems to be slipping’