Kay Burley Clashes With Government Minister Over Rishi Sunak's Private Healthcare

"You don’t think it’s any of our business that the prime minister can jump a queue if he needs to go and see a doctor, whereas other people have to wait a fortnight?"
Kay Burley grilled Mel Stride on Sky News this morning
Kay Burley grilled Mel Stride on Sky News this morning
Sky News

Kay Burley has clashed with a government minister over Rishi Sunak’s private healthcare.

The prime minister is reportedly registered with a GP practice offering £250 consultations.

Work and pensions secretary Mel Stride was grilled on the arrangement on Sky News this morning.

Burley said: “People go to the doctor, they’re poorly, they should be signed off sick, they won’t take a sick note because they have to go to work, otherwise they won’t get paid.

″And our prime minister is spending £250 to be able to see a private GP at the drop of a hat. You understand the disparity there?”

Stride replied: As regards the prime minister’s personal, medical arrangements, I do think they’re a matter for the prime minister.”

But Burley responded: ’So you don’t think it’s any of our business that the prime minister can jump a queue if he needs to go and see a doctor, whereas other people have to wait a fortnight?”

The minister responded: “As I say, I think people’s personal medical arrangements are things that if they choose to make public, that’s fine.

“Judge him by his actions, and the health secretary’s actions, on the NHS … In that very difficult autumn statement which had a lot of very hard choices that had to be made, two things really stood out.

“One was an increased commitment to funding education but the other was the health service and social care, which actually got quite a lot of money in the near-term.

“So, the commitment that we have to the NHS is absolutely central to this Government. That is something that’s very much driven from the top by the prime minister.”

Close

What's Hot