Piers Morgan has hit out at Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has rejected the call to get rid of fees overseas NHS and social care workers must pay to use the NHS.
The controversial host spoke on Good Morning Britain about the annual fees, which are set to rise from £400 to £624 in October.
Adult migrants coming to the UK from outside of the European Economic Area currently pay a £400 annual health fee, whether or not they use the NHS.
That includes those coming to the UK and are health workers.
In October, the fee rises to £624, while parents will have to pay an extra £470 for each dependent child.
Piers Morgan was not happy with Boris not scrapping fees for overseas NHS workers (Image: ITV)
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Piers said: “Everyone knows it’s outrageous.
“But for Boris Johnson to stand there and say, ‘Yeah, yeah I know I’ve been praising the NHS for weeks and they saved my life but you know what? I’m going to sting them, because we need their cash.’ Thanks Boris.”
He went on: “Will you be out clapping tonight, Boris, outside Number 10? Doing your big clap for the NHS workers that you’re going to be stinging for £624 a year, on top of their taxes and National Insurance? Really Boris, you’re going to do that tonight?”
Boris said the government can’t afford to scrap health fees (Image: UK PARLIAMENT/AFP via Getty Imag)
Boris Johnson spoke of two NHS nurses who “saved [his] life” – Jenny and Luis.
Mentioning them, Piers mocked Boris and added: “Hey, Jenny, thanks Jenny, thanks Luis, thanks so much.
“Here’s your reward, I’m going to punish you financially because I need your money.”
There is pressure from the likes of the Labour party, the SNP and the Royal College of Nursing to ditch the charge, having branded it “unjust”.
Similarly, leading Conservative MPs have agreed with the calls, with former party vice-chairman Sir Roger Gale warning the Prime Minister that it would be seen as “mean-spirited, doctrinaire and petty”.
There are currently more than 77,000 non-EEA nurses working in health and care across the country, according to the Royal College of Nursing.
On Wednesday, Boris said the government could not afford to scrap the fee.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
