ANDY Murray has heaped praise on the “incredible” NHS ahead of the health service’s 75th anniversary.
The former Wimbledon champion joined sports stars Jonnie Peacock and Sam Quek in a film celebrating the landmark date that will be shown on Wednesday.
He said: “To me the NHS is very important, they’ve always been there for my family when we’ve really needed them.
“Whether that’s been in the middle of the night when one of my children is ill and we need to see someone urgently, they’re always there.
“The staff have been incredible and are always so helpful.”
Murray first announced a partnership with the NHS in 2018.
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In 2021, he slammed a one per cent pay offer to England’s health service workers, branding it “pathetic”.
The film will be broadcast on big screens at London’s Piccadilly Circus, as well as live on the health service’s social media channels.
NHS chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said: “It is incredible to see this gratitude for the amazing work that our NHS staff do.
“As we reach our milestone 75th birthday, I am very proud of every member of staff who make the NHS what it is — the biggest care team in the world.”
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But some NHS staff are not as optimistic about the service’s future, with nurses saying it is “sad to think we're celebrating 75 years being in such a state that it is in”.
Pat Cullen, of Royal College of Nursing (RCN), which last week failed to gain a mandate to strike again for another six months, said the health service is “crumbling at the seams”.
She said: “I think the NHS has survived because of the dedication and the compassion and the commitment of nursing staff.
“In recent weeks, I have spoken to hundreds and hundreds of nurses, their feeling of sadness about the state of the NHS is palpable.
"They describe working in the most extreme conditions
"The NHS deserves much more. It deserves to be nurtured and looked after and treated as the incredible institution that it is and was set up to be.
"Yet over this last decade, at least, the NHS has been subjected to constant neglect and constant cuts.”
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