Boris Johnson says sorry after boy, 4, is forced to sleep on hospital floor

9 December 2019, 12:35

Boris Johnson has apologised after a four-year-old boy was forced to sleep on a hospital floor due to a lack of beds.

Jack Williment-Barr was rushed to Leeds General Infirmary with suspected pneumonia on 3 December, where overstretched staff had no choice but to offer the little boy a space on the floor and an oxygen mask.

His concerned mum Sarah Williment, 34, could only try and keep Jack warm with coats until he was eventually found a bed at 3am - 13 hours after he was brought in.

Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari, the prime minister said: "Of course I sympathise very much and I apologise to everyone who has a bad experience.

"By and large I think the NHS do an amazing job, and I think they deserve all praise for the service they provide.

"But they do need investment and that's why we're doing it now.

"But they need investment from a One Nation government that really cares and understands - that's us that cares and understands - and you need long-term funding.

"What you cant do is have an economic disaster under Corbyn and McDonnell who have captured the far-left agenda."

Jack was eventually diagnosed with flu and tonsillitis and discharged at midday the following day.

Ms Williment told the Yorkshire Evening Post the NHS staff were "all as helpful as they could be" but "there simply aren't enough beds to cope with the high level of demand".

During the call, Mr Ferrari challenged Mr Johnson on the 15,000 hospital beds which have been cut since the Tories came into power in 2010.

In response, Mr Johnson said: "This is a new government with a new approach. Since I've come in we're putting the biggest ever amount into the NHS, £34 billion."

The Conservatives have previously come under fire for claiming in their manifesto they would bring in 50,000 "more" nurses into the NHS, before admitting only 31,000 of them would actually be new.

Instead, 19,000 would be existing nurses who would be encouraged to remain or attracted back after leaving.