I want to apolgise. I want to apologise to a nation, I want to apologise to the world, but I'll apologise to one person. That person is an Irish nurse in an English hospital. She cared for an old man as his mind and body failed. Her job involved skilled nursing, it involved
compassion, humour, caring, it involved some very unpleasant situations but she never flagged, she never dropped her standards, and his wife and family were comforted as the sad end approached. And of course she was part of a multi-national team.
And now that Irish nurse has been threatened and hurt by a vicious, headline-seeking clod of an MP, @patel4witham. Because words matter: they hurt immediately and they poison a volatile atmosphere.
And a wonderful Irish nurse, and her colleagues, will wonder why they stay. And they'll leave, for good nurses can find a job anywhere. And the next dying old man will be left in pain, in distress, uncleansed and uncared for as callous stupidity drives out the good.
That is why Patel's words matter and that is why Patel's words disgust decent people and shame a nation. And that is why I loather her and her party.
