This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-64759060
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Rod Stewart pays for scans at NHS hospital to cut waiting lists | Rod Stewart pays for scans at NHS hospital to cut waiting lists |
| (3 days later) | |
| Sir Rod explains why he paid for scans to be carried out on patients at a mobile unit in Harlow | Sir Rod explains why he paid for scans to be carried out on patients at a mobile unit in Harlow |
| Sir Rod explains why he paid for scans to be carried out on patients at a mobile unit in Harlow | Sir Rod explains why he paid for scans to be carried out on patients at a mobile unit in Harlow |
| Sir Rod Stewart has paid for a day's worth of MRI scans for patients at his local NHS hospital in a bid to help cut waiting lists. | Sir Rod Stewart has paid for a day's worth of MRI scans for patients at his local NHS hospital in a bid to help cut waiting lists. |
| The singer, who lives in Essex, visited the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow as some scans were taking place. | The singer, who lives in Essex, visited the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow as some scans were taking place. |
| Last month he called a live phone-in on Sky News and offered to pay for people to have hospital scans, having just returned from having a scan himself. | Last month he called a live phone-in on Sky News and offered to pay for people to have hospital scans, having just returned from having a scan himself. |
| Sir Rod said he wanted to "prove I'm not all mouth and trousers". | Sir Rod said he wanted to "prove I'm not all mouth and trousers". |
| The 77-year-old's donation is covering a day of scans for patients, which were being carried out at private healthcare firm InHealth's mobile MRI scanning unit at the hospital site. | The 77-year-old's donation is covering a day of scans for patients, which were being carried out at private healthcare firm InHealth's mobile MRI scanning unit at the hospital site. |
| Sir Rod said he "just wanted to help people" | Sir Rod said he "just wanted to help people" |
| "I had just come from my scan in a private clinic near Harley Street," he said. | "I had just come from my scan in a private clinic near Harley Street," he said. |
| "I walked in and said 'I'm terribly sorry, I'm half an hour late'. | "I walked in and said 'I'm terribly sorry, I'm half an hour late'. |
| "They said 'don't worry, there's hardly anybody in here today'. | "They said 'don't worry, there's hardly anybody in here today'. |
| "There were eight people with hardly anything to do. Then I thought this is a terrible injustice, so here we are." | "There were eight people with hardly anything to do. Then I thought this is a terrible injustice, so here we are." |
| While there, he posed for photographs with medical staff at the hospital | While there, he posed for photographs with medical staff at the hospital |
| The singer said he did not want this gesture to be a one-off, and said: "If this is a big success, which I think it will be, I'd like to do it in Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, and just keep it going, and hope some other people follow me. | The singer said he did not want this gesture to be a one-off, and said: "If this is a big success, which I think it will be, I'd like to do it in Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, and just keep it going, and hope some other people follow me. |
| "Because I want to prove I'm not all mouth and trousers and that's why I'm here to prove that I followed through with it." | "Because I want to prove I'm not all mouth and trousers and that's why I'm here to prove that I followed through with it." |
| Although he said he did not wish to talk about politics, when pressed on the state of the NHS, he said: "There must be enough money in the coffers to pay up for these nurses. Only two years ago we were clapping, and now... | Although he said he did not wish to talk about politics, when pressed on the state of the NHS, he said: "There must be enough money in the coffers to pay up for these nurses. Only two years ago we were clapping, and now... |
| "Bless them, they work so hard - salt of the earth." | "Bless them, they work so hard - salt of the earth." |
| "We've got to sort this out, really. We're in dire straits." | "We've got to sort this out, really. We're in dire straits." |
| Sir Rod Stewart with scan patient Omarie Ryan | Sir Rod Stewart with scan patient Omarie Ryan |
| He said he felt he was in "a privileged position - I've earned my money and I want to help people - it's as simple as that". | He said he felt he was in "a privileged position - I've earned my money and I want to help people - it's as simple as that". |
| While the Department of Health and Social Care did not wish to comment specifically on Sir Rod's actions, in its blog from December, it set out its plans with NHS England to bring down waiting lists for non-urgent care, including planned operations. | While the Department of Health and Social Care did not wish to comment specifically on Sir Rod's actions, in its blog from December, it set out its plans with NHS England to bring down waiting lists for non-urgent care, including planned operations. |
| It said up to £14.1bn was "available over the next two years on top of record funding to tackle the backlog" caused by the pandemic. | It said up to £14.1bn was "available over the next two years on top of record funding to tackle the backlog" caused by the pandemic. |
| It said the aim was to eliminate waits of longer than a year for elective care by March 2025. | It said the aim was to eliminate waits of longer than a year for elective care by March 2025. |
| The blog said that by July 2022, no-one would have to wait longer than two years for elective [non-urgent] treatment, and the NHS aimed to eliminate waits of more than 18 months by April 2023. | The blog said that by July 2022, no-one would have to wait longer than two years for elective [non-urgent] treatment, and the NHS aimed to eliminate waits of more than 18 months by April 2023. |
| Sir Rod Stewart demo tape sells for £3,400 | Sir Rod Stewart demo tape sells for £3,400 |
| Rod Stewart's potholes fixed after DIY attempt | Rod Stewart's potholes fixed after DIY attempt |
| Stewart reveals train set demands | Stewart reveals train set demands |
| While at the Harlow hospital, Sir Rod met patient Omarie Ryan, 36, who had come from London for a knee scan. | While at the Harlow hospital, Sir Rod met patient Omarie Ryan, 36, who had come from London for a knee scan. |
| Mr Ryan described the meeting as "a dream come true". | Mr Ryan described the meeting as "a dream come true". |
| The hospital said it currently had just over 7,000 people on its waiting lists for scans (MRI, CT and non-obstetric ultrasound). | |
| The average wait for a routine test was about eight weeks, while the national target was a wait of six weeks, it added. | |
| The hospital's chief operating officer, Stephanie Lawton, said the day of scans funded by Sir Rod would help reduce their waiting list by about10%, or 20 or so patients. | The hospital's chief operating officer, Stephanie Lawton, said the day of scans funded by Sir Rod would help reduce their waiting list by about10%, or 20 or so patients. |
| "Rod's a local resident, we're his local hospital, we're really delighted to be working with him and his team for the benefit of patients and doing everything we can to reduce the waiting lists," she said. | "Rod's a local resident, we're his local hospital, we're really delighted to be working with him and his team for the benefit of patients and doing everything we can to reduce the waiting lists," she said. |
| Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk | Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Rod Stewart | Rod Stewart |
| Harlow | Harlow |
| NHS | NHS |