ICU nurse who treated Boris Johnson quits over lack of support from government

One of the two nurses personally praised by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson amid his hospital stay for COVID-19 has left the industry, citing the British government’s lack of respect and care for nurses in the National Health System (NHS).

The Washington Post reported that Jenny McGee, a New Zealand-born nurse who was one of two who stayed by Johnson’s bedside for 48 hours as he was in intensive care for severe COVID-19 symptoms, announced her resignation Tuesday.

“We’re not getting the respect and now pay that we deserve. I’m just sick of it. So I’ve handed in my resignation,” she said, according to the Post.

“Lots of nurses felt that the government hadn’t led very effectively — the indecisiveness, so many mixed messages,” McGee added.

Her contribution was one of several cited by Johnson as crucial to his recovery in a video released after his return to No. 10 Downing Street.

It is hard to find the words to express my debt to the NHS for saving my life.

The efforts of millions of people across this country to stay home are worth it. Together we will overcome this challenge, as we have overcome so many challenges in the past. #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/HK7Ch8BMB5

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 12, 2020

The British government’s handling of the COVID-19 outbreak was her reason for not taking part in a “clap for carers” celebration at No. 10 Downing Street organized to recognize Britain’s first responders, she told the Post.

Johnson’s government has proposed a 1 percent pay raise for nurses in the NHS, who make on average about 65 percent as much as American nurses do. The plan has garnered heavy criticism from many in U.K. society, particularly on the left where unions and some parties such as the U.K. Green Party are calling for as high as a 15 percent raise.

‍⚕️ Nurses have gone above and beyond during this pandemic.

We thank them for their dedication, kindness and resilience.

Their outstanding contribution to our country must be fairly recognised.#InternationalNursesDay #SupportNursesAndMidwives #NHSPay15 pic.twitter.com/QoyptxokMu

— The Green Party (@TheGreenParty) May 12, 2021