26 January 2023 , 17:45
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Sir Rod Stewart left a Sky News broadcaster stunned as he offered to fund scans for Brits who have been left on lengthy NHS waiting lists.
The legendary musician explained that he had gone for a yearly scan at a private clinic but was astounded to discover that he was just one of few "customers" as the hospital was almost empty.
It comes as NHS nurses up and down the country went on strike in a bid to secure a fair pay deal – which also meant that thousands of scans were delayed further.
But Sir Rod, 78, has vowed to help around 10 to 20 NHS patients who urgently require a scan in order to speed up the process of their treatment.
Sir Rod Stewart has pledged to pay for 10 to 20 NHS patients to have vital scans carried out sooner (Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns)As Sky News anchor Sarah-Jane Mee discussed the NHS in crisis, Sir Rod couldn't hold back as he called the studios from his lavish mansion.
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He said: "Hi Sarah, I've been watching the programme all day, yesterday, I went for my yearly scan which is private, obviously.
"I was 20 minutes late, I phoned in and said 'Oh I'm terribly sorry, I'll be there,' I was half an hour late, I got in there and said 'Oh I'm so sorry I'm so late' and they said 'Oh we're not busy at all, we've only got a couple of customers today.'"
The singer made a surprise phonecall to Sky News, leaving anchor Sarah-Jane Mee stunnedSir Rod added: "I won't tell you where it was but my point being, this is ridiculous – I would like to pay for 10 or 20 scans, I don't know how we're going to work this out but hopefully some other people will follow.
"It seems ridiculous that this particular scanning clinic was empty and there are people dying because they cannot get scans.
"Listen to me, I don't need the publicity, I just want to do some good things and I think this is a good thing and if other people followed me, I'd love it."
The singer explained that a private clinic he had visited said they had barely any "customers" in that day (Stu Forster/Getty Images)Sarah was left completely stunned by Sir Rod's comments as she responded: "That's a generous thing to do, thank you for calling us and somehow we'll work it out because that's such a great offer."
The news anchor later explained that Sir Rod's offer was a "lifeline" for some patients who urgently need treatment.
Currently, the NHS website states that an individual will face a maximum of 18 weeks (four months) for non-urgent referrals such as consultant-led treatments.
Meanwhile, those with urgent referrals for conditions such as cancer are expected to wait two weeks from the day of their appointment.
However, should the clinic decide to cancel a procedure at the last minute, patients could be forced to wait another 28 days.
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But should an operation be cancelled before admission, the hospital or place offering the service is not required to private another date within the 28-day boundary.