Boris Johnson makes surprise visit to Kettering hospital to join staff on the night shift – but STILL hasn’t been to see flood victims despite only being a short drive away
- Boris Johnson has joined doctors on the night shift at Kettering General Hospital
- The PM visited without any media saying he wanted to see challenges first-hand
- He has been criticised for refusing to vist flooding sites for the past 13 days
Boris Johnson did a shift at a hospital last night to see the pressures that the NHS faces first-hand.
It is understood Mr Johnson headed for Kettering General Hospital after working at Downing Street during the day.
No10 sources said the premier had wanted to carry out such a visit for some time, to see for himself the challenges for health workers.
He was not accompanied by any media, but chatted to a number of patients who recognised him with his security detail.
The visit is not believed to have been connected to the Coronavirus crisis – which is imposing fresh demands on services.
Boris Johnson posed for pictures with doctors on his surprise visit to Kettering General Hospital last night
Flooding at the Boat Inn in Ashleworth, Gloucs, where the River Severn has breached defences
The PM has been heavily criticised for failing to visit flooding victims across the country over the past 13 days since extreme weather hit.
Allies have insisted that his presence would have been a distraction from efforts by emergency workers to help those affected.
Mr Johnson has also defended his decision to leave Environment Secretary George Eustice to head the response, saying there has been a ‘constant stream’ of activity coming from ministers.
The premier visited a homeless shelter in London yesterday morning as figures showed rough sleeping had dipped.
Mr Johnson has made great play of his commitment to the NHS, vowing to pump in more money and improve treatment.
He was a frequent visitor to hospitals before the election, although he has not always received a universally warm welcome.
In September he was accosted by a father at Whipps Cross hospital who said the treatment for his seven-day-old daughter had been ‘unacceptable’.
Omar Salem told the PM: ‘There are not enough people on this ward, there are not enough doctors, there’s not enough nurses, it’s not well organised enough.’
The premier visited a homeless shelter in London yesterday morning (pictured) as figures showed rough sleeping had dipped