Boris Johnson says 312 NHS and social care workers have died of coronavirus

20 May 2020, 12:54

Boris Johnson has announced that 312 NHS staff and social care workers have died from coronavirus.

Speaking in the Commons today, the prime minister said 181 NHS staff and 131 care workers had died.

He announced the latest figure as he took PMQs, saying: “I know the thoughts of the whole House are with their families and friends.”

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford criticised the Government's treatment of health care workers in its immigration legislation.

He told the Commons: "On Monday, the Prime Minister ordered his MPs to vote for a Immigration Bill that defines many in the NHS and care sector as 'low-skilled workers'.

"Given their sacrifice, Prime Minister, is he not embarrassed that this is how his Government chooses to treat NHS and care workers?"

Mr Johnson responded: "This is a Government that values immensely the work of everybody in our National Health Service, in our care workers and across the whole community.

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"And I can tell him the reason for having an Immigration Bill of the kind that we are is not to keep out people who can help our NHS, on the contrary, we want an immigration system that works for the people of this country and works for our NHS.

"And I think what the people of this country want to see is an immigration system where we control it and we understand it and we are able to direct it according to the needs of our NHS and the needs of our economy and that's what we're putting in place."