Thanking our NHS and Care Workers

Our everyday lives have changed amid the Covid19 public health emergency that is happening across the world. We’ve seen harrowing and heart-breaking scenes from hospitals in northern Italy, with a grim milestone having passed of more reported Covid19 deaths than in China. Heroic Italian doctors have given us a very stark warning and we ignore their advice at our peril.

We are seeing unprecedented action and support from the government and our local councils, but this is an effort where each and everyone of us has a part to play. Comparisons have been made with the war effort during World War Two but there is one big difference I’d like to highlight. During war, people and countries are fighting against each other but this time all of us from every country are united in a common cause.

Most of us in Crawley are pulling together and the community spirit is great to see, as well as heeding the government advice that comes from our top medical experts. It is vitally important we follow the advice issued and only from trusted and accountable sources. These include the Government, the NHS, Public Health England, West Sussex County Council, Crawley Borough Council, Sussex Police, West Sussex Fire & Rescue, and trusted national news outlets such as the BBC, Sky and ITN.

Unfortunately, a minority of people haven’t been heeding the advice and this has consequences, risking further transmission and spread of the Conoravirus, that then finds its way to vulnerable people whom this could kill or make very sick. It then follows that the more people who need treating for Covid19, the less NHS resource there is for those who need every other illness or injury treating. So please, can everyone play their part, we need 100% support, not 90%.

Those who work for the NHS are heroes at the best of times, but at this time they are pressured like never before. On Thursday evening at 8pm, please join in the planned public applause to say THANK YOU to our wonderful health workers and carers. It’s the very least we can do.