NHS workers receive special invite to King's coronation - while Tories still snub them for pay

Thousands of NHS workers fighting for fair pay have been invited to the coronation.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said it was 'a mark of the nation's deep gratitude' to healthcare workers, but nurses called it a 'contradiction'.

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A nurse honored by the Queen tonight has hailed the Royal Family for handing thousands of NHS heroes coronation passes – while Tories still snub them.

Nearly 4,000 doctors and Armed Forces veterans will fill a stand next to Buckingham Palace when King Charles is crowned on May 6.

Many NHS staff have helped save lives during the coronavirus pandemic.

And Professor Nola Ishmael is furious at the double standard revealed by the invitation – with hard-working staff and MPs denying them fair pay.

King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort posing in the Blue Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace in London (

Picture:

BUCKINGHAM PALACE/AFP via Getty)

Junior doctor Karim Salem has to borrow money from his parents to make ends meet (

Picture:

Paul Marriott)

The highly respected Professor Ishmael, who received the OBE at Buckingham Palace, said: "It's a contradiction. On the one hand, we're highly regarded and appreciated, but we've been ignored financially. We are valued when there is no money to talk about and not valued when there is money to talk about.

"Inviting NHS heroes to celebrate the coronation is another example of this contradiction."

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said the invitation was "a mark of the nation's deep gratitude" to those who have dedicated their lives to public service.

But Professor Ishmael, 80, has called the 5% salary offer to nurses a "huge insult" and believes Prime Minister Rishi Sunak should allow an improved deal.