British healthcare workers' courage in the face of coronavirus 'deserves top honour'

Awarding the George Cross medal would satisfy clamour for medical workers to be honoured by the state

A member of medical staff is seen at an NHS coronavirus testing facility, Wolverhampton, Britain, April 7, 2020. Reuters  

Britain’s National Health Service should be awarded an outstanding bravery medal in recognition of the courage shown in the face of the lethal coronavirus, a leading political figure has said.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Lord Ashcroft, the former Conservative Party deputy chairman, urged Boris Johnson to make the one of the highest awards for bravery to all 1.3 million NHS workers.

The Prime Minister, who called the NHS “Britain’s greatest national asset” after he was released from intensive care earlier this week, received the letter while recuperating at Chequers, his country residence.

Andrea Sutcliffe, chief executive at the Nursing and Midwifery Council, said the country's medical staff would be boosted by recognition.  “In these unprecedented times, we are seeing why nurses and midwives are the heartbeat of our global health system and why they need our recognition,” she said.

The letter said Britain should find a way of recognising the “outstanding bravery” shown by medical staff.  It added: “Working in the face of a lethal virus, in some cases without sufficient protection, shows nothing but exemplary courage.

“These are extraordinary times and they require a similar scale of response to recognise the service and courage of those who are at the forefront of the battle against this deadly virus.”

There has been an outpouring of support for the NHS in the UK with a collective applause at 8pm every Thursday and streets daubed with rainbow flags supporting medics.

The letter suggested that once the Prime Minister had fully recovered from coronavirus that he should make the George Cross proposal in his next audience with the Queen.

The medal is awarded for acts of “the greatest heroism or most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger”. Of the 163 awards since 1940, it has been given collectively on just two occasions, once to the besieged island of Malta in 1942 and then to the Royal Ulster Constabulary in 1999 for its role in the Northern Ireland Troubles.

General Lord Richards, former head of Britain’s Armed Forces said: “There is no doubt that the front line NHS has done us proud and I would be very supportive of a collective recognition such as Lord Ashcroft’s suggestion.”

Tobias Ellwood, MP, chair of the defence select committee, said: “Unquestionably there should be some recognition of NHS staff but we are certainly not out of the woods yet.”

A senior NHS worker also agreed with the proposal. “We’ve had our people go above and beyond the call of duty in the face of extreme danger, so yes I think something like the George Cross is absolutely the right thing. I don’t know one person working for the NHS who is not involved in Covid 19 related cases.”

He added the medal would recognise the “absolute tragedy” of 30 NHS medical staff who have died from coronavirus.

In response to the letter the Royal College of Nursing said its staff had faced an “unprecedented challenge”. An RCN spokesman added: “When this pandemic is over and pay negotiations begin, ministers must remember the dedication and sacrifice that was on display – properly rewarding staff will begin to address the long-term shortages in the nursing workforce.”

Other proposals mooted include a ‘Covid-19 Medal’ specifically for frontline medical staff.