A nurse who sparked fury by saying live on national television: ‘If you voted Conservative you don’t deserve to be resuscitated by the NHS’ today claims she is being ‘vilified as a monster’.
Former NHS nurse Miranda Hughes, 46, made the incendiary remarks about the healthcare system during a live TV debate on Channel 5 on Monday.
The inflammatory comments sparked a social media backlash, with Twitter users suggesting she should be sacked for her ‘disgusting’ jibe.
Others called for the Nursing and Midwifery Council – the national regulator for nursing – to launch an investigation into Ms Hughes, who lives in Hampshire and now works in the private sector.
Ms Hughes, who previously slammed Brexit as ‘absurd’ and ’embarrassing’ in another inflammatory television appearance, claims she is being fired from her current job for breaching her firm’s media policy.
And she has pointed the finger of blame at the ‘Twitterati’, who she says have ‘gone to town’ on her following the live broadcast.
For her own part, she claims she ‘lost her temper’ before the remarks, which she now admits were ‘inappropriate’.
‘Now I am going to lose my job because the Twitterati have gone to town,’ she told the Daily Telegraph.
‘I am being vilified for being some monster that doesn’t care and unfortunately the problem is I care too much.’
Former NHS nurse Miranda Hughes, 46, made the incendiary remarks about the healthcare system during a live TV debate on Channel 5 on Monday
Mrs Hughes is a former NHS nurse who lives in Hampshire and now works in the private sector
Her remarks about the NHS were made earlier this week on a live debate named ‘Britain on the Brink’, hosted by Jeremy Vine
Ms Hughes (pictured), who describes herself on Twitter as ‘European. Anti-Tory. Nurse. Mum. Cat appreciator. Amdram queen. Repeat dieter and food lover’, last night claimed she was going to be sacked from her current role for breaching her company’s media guidelines
‘The reason I went on the programme was that you cannot care for your patients, it’s impossible.
‘I can’t do what’s right and it frustrates the hell out of me because I’ve been sick myself, I’ve had to watch people die and there are no resources to help.’
Her remarks about the NHS were made earlier this week on a live debate named ‘Britain on The Brink’, hosted by Jeremy Vine.
After being challenged on the claims, Ms Hughes who now works in the private sector, backtracked on her incendiary remarks, insisting: ‘No, of course I would, of course I would.’
But her original comments sparked fury online, with some describing them as ‘disgusting’ and ‘bigotry’.
Others pointed out that more than 14million people voted Conservative in the 2019 General Election.
And last night the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the independent regulator for nurses, and nursing associates, today said it had been made aware of the comments.
A spokesperson said: ‘We’ve seen a lot of tweets about a comment made yesterday on television.
‘Our Code is clear that professionals on our register must promote professionalism and trust at all times.
Last night the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the independent regulator for nurses, and nursing associates, today said it had been made aware of the comments by Ms Hughes (pictured left), who also described Brexit as ‘absurd’ during another TV rant on BBC Question Time (pictured right)
She currently works for south London-based private healthcare and rehabilitation provider, HCML, who last night issued a statement on social media (pictured)
Photographs show nurse who said those who ‘voted Tory don’t deserve to be resuscitated by the NHS’ enjoying family trip to Disney
Exclusive by Vivek Chaudhary for MailOnline
Enjoying a cuddle with Chubakka, this is the fiery, left-wing nurse who sparked fury by declaring on live television: ‘If you voted Conservative you don’t deserve to be resuscitated by the NHS’ – on a dream family holiday to Walt Disney World in Florida.
Miranda Hughes, 46, can be seen enjoying the luxury trip with her husband Paul and their daughter as the fun-loving firebrand poses for photos with an array Disney characters.
As well as her hug with the Star Wars favourite, controversial Mrs Hughes also beamed for the camera alongside Disney favourites Tigger and Snow White.
Her husband’s Facebook page also features a photo of him dressed up as Shrek while she plays the role of Princess Fiona at a children’s birthday party.
In some of the fun-loving holiday snaps she is wearing Mickey Mouse headgear as she beams for the camera, clearly enjoying the break with her loved ones.
Ms Hughes lives with husband Paul, 49 and their daughter in Odiham, Hants.
According to reports she is lucky to be alive after undergoing a crucial liver transplant operation in 2002 following a brief but serious illness.
A 2020 article outlining her experience reveals that Ms Hughes decided to quit nursing after falling seriously ill and started using her skills to help train others on issues related to transplants at hospitals in Hampshire as part of the education and workforce development team.
Ms Hughes was diagnosed with PTSD after falling seriously ill while travelling as a 26-year-old around South East Asia.
The article on NHS Hampshire Hospital’s website, revealed that she was constantly sick, could not eat anything and suffered rapid weight loss while abroad.
The article added: ‘A lot of doctors dismissed her initially thinking she had Hepatitis A and told her to go home. Eventually, more supported diagnostics pointed to her having been bitten by a parasite, possibly in Myanmar (Burma) which is believed to be the reason why she went into subacute liver failure.’
After arriving back in Britain, she was rushed into intensive care and the underwent a liver transplant from somebody who had died in a car accident.
The article notes: ‘The birth of her daughter had a big impact on Miranda’s confidence, it was then she started sharing her story with others. She would like anyone to donate if her daughter needed it and that – alongside her personal experience – encouraged her to raise awareness of the important of sharing your organ donation decision with your loved ones.’
‘Where concerns are raised with us we’ll always look into it and consider taking action if needed.’
Ms Hughes, who describes herself on Twitter as ‘European. Anti-Tory. Nurse. Mum. Cat appreciator. Amdram queen. Repeat dieter and food lover’, last night claimed she was going to be sacked from her current role for breaching her company’s media guidelines.
She currently works for south London-based private healthcare and rehabilitation provider, HCML, who last night issued a statement on social media.
The company said: ‘The opinions expressed by the individual are their own personal views and do not represent those of the company.
‘The company has policies which determine the permissibility of comments made by employees in the media, or on social media, and we will be investigating the extent to which the comments in question breached those policies.
‘If a breach is found to have occurred then appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.’
Asked by the Telegraph if she faced the sack, she said: ‘I have brought the company into disrepute, so yes I am being sacked.’
Mrs Hughes stepped down from a front line nursing role in 2020. She became a trainer at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust, but the trust says she is no longer associated with them.
Ms Hughes made her comments as she explained to host Jeremy Vine about her decision to quit the NHS for the private sector.
She said: ‘I could not handle the emotional stress of not being able to deliver for my patients.
‘When you sign up to be a nurse, you sign up to put the patient at the forefront of everything you do.
‘You are squeezed to the point where you cannot treat people, the way you need to treat them.
‘And it eats you up, because you are there to do a job as a compassionate person, but there are no resources.
Growing in anger as she spoke, she then said: ‘And you are told consistently on the news that care homes are being ring fenced, but it’s a lie.’
‘And I am sorry but if you have voted Conservative you do not deserve to be resuscitated by the NHS.
‘I know that is harsh, I know that is harsh, but I’m looking at these gentlemen and it has made me so angry.
Asked if she meant what she said by host Jeremy Vine, she replied: ‘No, of course I would, of course I would.
‘But it is appalling the way we have been treated. All nurses have been slapped in the face.’
Her comments have today sparked a backlash online, with people describing her views as ‘bigotry’.
Meanwhile, one person who knows Ms Hughes, told MailOnline that he believes she may have let the emotion of her situation get the better of her.
The friend said: ‘She probably got a bit carried away, but it was terrible what she said.’
One person to comment was former Sky and GB News presenter Colin Brazier.
He said on Twitter: ‘It doesn’t do to trot out the ‘…all it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing’ too regularly.
‘But really. Saying that Tory voters shouldn’t be resuscitated if they need to, in hospital, crosses several lines.’
David Atherton, who describes himself as a Libertarian, and a former contributor the right-wing site Breitbart, tweeted: ‘Lefty nurse Miranda Hughes said on Channel 5’s ‘Britain on the Brink’ last night that Tories ‘don’t deserve to be resuscitated.’
‘I thought ‘never kissed a Tory’ was bad enough for bigotry.’
Another to respond to the video, Scottish Conservative councillor Iain Gall, tweeted: ‘13,966,454 people voted conservative in the 2019 general election including myself.
‘No doubt this cretin has #bekind in her bio.’
It comes following a spate of criticism towards Labour politicians and activists following anti-Tory remarks.
Labour frontbencher Lucy Powell was earlier this year accused of stirring up division after posing in a T-shirt that claimed she had ‘never kissed a Tory’.
The party’s culture spokesman was told to ‘grow up’ after she was pictured wearing the T-shirt at the Manchester Pride parade.
But Labour allies suggested the row over the T-shirt, which has become popular in some Left-wing circles, was an attempt to distract people from the cost of living crisis.
Chris Clarkson, the Tory MP for Heywood and Middleton, said of the shirt: ‘Puerile, divisive and completely against the spirit of inclusion that Pride is supposed to embody. Grow up.’
Sara Britcliffe, for Hyndburn and Haslingden, added: ‘This is the problem. Creating an us v them. Quite disgusting from a shadow minister.
Ms Powell, the party’s culture spokesman, was told to ‘grow up’ after she was pictured wearing the T-shirt at the Manchester Pride parade this weekend
‘A difference of political belief should not result in hate.’
Tory MP Dehenna Davison, who came out as bisexual last year, also labelled the stunt ‘juvenile’.
A source close to Mrs Powell said last night: ‘Whilst the Conservatives are fixating over a T-shirt worn to a Pride event in Manchester this weekend – a T-shirt worn by Labour at all Prides for over a decade to much cheer from the crowds – millions of families and pensioners are worried sick about how they will pay their energy bills this winter.’
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner also faced criticism last year after referring to Conservatives as ‘scum’ during a fringe meeting at Labour’s party conference in Brighton.
She said:’We cannot get any worse than a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, misogynistic, absolute vile, banana republic, vile, nasty, Etonian piece of scum.’
She later ‘unreservedly’ apologised for the remarks and said she had ‘reflected’ on the tone of political debate in the wake of the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess in October last year and would no longer use such language.
- Do you know Miranda Hughes? Contact me: james.robinson@mailonline.co.uk
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