A nurse has been fired from her private firm after she took to national television to openly proclaim that people who vote for the Conservatives should not be resuscitated by the National Health Service.
Miranda Hughes, 46, has revealed that she was sacked after appearing on the Channel 5 debate programme Britain on The Brink on Monday, in which she said that the country’s socialised healthcare system should not save the lives of people who vote for the Conservative party.
‘You are squeezed to the point where you cannot treat people, the way you need to treat them. And it eats you up, because you are there to do a job as a compassionate person, but there are no resources,” she told host Jeremy Vine.
“And you are told consistently on the news that care homes are being ring fenced, but it’s a lie. And I am sorry but if you have voted Conservative you do not deserve to be resuscitated by the NHS,” she declared.
While Hughes later clarified that she personally wouldn’t decide to let a person die because of their political beliefs, she justified her outburst by pointing to the alleged mistreatment of healthcare workers by the government, explaining: “It is appalling the way we have been treated. All nurses have been slapped in the face.”
Ironically despite professing her support for the country’s socialised healthcare system, she admitted that she chose to quit the NHS in favour of the more lucrative private sector, saying: “I could not handle the emotional stress of not being able to deliver for my patients.”
The appearance caused a swift backlash, and on Wednesday she revealed that she was sacked from her firm over the comments.
Speaking to the Daily Mail at her home in Odiham, Hampshire, which the tabloid claimed was worth some £500,000, Hughes said: “I was very angry and should not have said what I did, but I was so angry that it just got the better of me.”
“I do regret what I said and of course I would never not resuscitate anyone. I would not even know their political beliefs. I have treated people from mayor’s the lowest in society,” but added: “I underestimated how people will take something and run with it. Unfortunately, they are misdirecting their anger.”
Some on the libertarian right of the political spectrum have decried her sacking, claiming that it is another instance of cancel culture. However, others have have pointed to the comments as a violation of the Hippocratic Oath and therefore not a free speech issue as potential future patients may fear for their safety under her care.
“This makes my blood boil,” said deputy Reform party leader, Dr David Bull. “It is unacceptable it’s unethical it is a breach of professional standards and that woman, I’m afraid, not only should lose her job she should lose her license accreditation.”
“The first rule of medicine is you treat everyone equally and it you put any of your prejudice aside and you treat everyone as you wish to be treated and I think the way she behaved was quite frankly utterly disgraceful,” Dr Bull added.
Hughes is not unique in the medical field in wishing death for her political opponents in England. In a 2019 exclusive Breitbart London video that sparked national controversy, a protester in London, who claimed to be studying to become a doctor said that she hoped then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson would die a “horrible death”.
“[Boris Johnson] is a pig and I’m so ashamed that he’s the prime minister of my country, it’s disgusting and I wish him the worst, I wish him a horrible death,” she said.
Follow Kurt Zindulka on Twitter here @KurtZindulka
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