What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Boris Johnson was confronted at a hospital by a furious dad who told him the NHS is being "destroyed" and said: "My daughter nearly died yesterday".

Omar Salem attacked the Prime Minister for being in "La La Land" as he visited a London hospital to see the reality of public services under his leadership.

The dad said his baby daughter took two hours to receive treatment at Whipps Cross University Hospital in Leytonstone, east London - telling the Prime Minister: "Would you like that for your own children?"

In a powerful exchange lasting almost two minutes, Mr Salem, a Labour activist and photographer, added: "My daughter nearly died yesterday.

"A&E guys were great, but we then came down to this ward here. It took us two hours... for [unclear] to be put into my seven-day-old daughter."

The hospital's chief executive later admitted there had been a temporary staff shortage on the ward on Tuesday night, caused by "an unexpected emergency in one part of the hospital".

(Image: PA)

Confronting flustered Mr Johnson, Mr Salem said there had been "years and years and years of the NHS being destroyed", adding: "That’s just not acceptable. This ward is not safe for children. There was one registrar covering the entirety of this ward and the neonatal unit.

“That is just not acceptable, is it?

“Would you like that for your own children?”

Mr Salem added: "There are not enough people on this ward, there are not enough doctors, there's not enough nurses, it's not well organised enough.

Scroll down for full transcript of the exchange.

(Image: Universal News And Sport (Europe))

"The NHS has been destroyed, it's been destroyed, it's been destroyed, and now you come here for a press opportunity!"

As the hospital's chief executive Alan Gurney appeared to try ushering the man away, Mr Johnson protested: "Actually there's no press here".

But Mr Salem gestured to the press filming the confrontation and said: "What do you mean there's no press here! Who are these people?"

Other photos from the same visit show Mr Johnson appeared for the cameras pouring tea with NHS staff.

Posting later on Twitter, Mr Salem said his seven-day-old daughter had been admitted in a "gravely ill" state.

He said: "Boris Johnson had the temerity to come to WhippsCrossHosp for a press opportunity on the children's ward that my 7 day old daughter is on, having been admitted to A&E yesterday gravely ill.

"The A&E team were great but she then went for hours on the ward without seeing a doctor."

Mr Salem also tweeted: "Boris Johnson dropped into @WhippsCrossHosp for a press opportunity - so I gave him a piece of my mind about how he is running the NHS based on the experience with my 7 day old daughter, who was neglected for hours last night."

(Image: PA)

He added: "Boris Johnson has been an MP, Mayor of London, Cabinet Minister and now PM while the NHS has been neglected, just as my daughter was last night.

"Rather than drips of money for press opportunities he should get on with properly supporting the NHS so that patients get the care they deserve, there is adequate staffing with good working conditions and worried fathers like me can have some peace of mind."

Mr Salem described himself on Twitter as a "Labour activist campaigning against Brexit and for a socialist Europe". He posted Twitter photos from Labour events in Parliament and at the party's annual conference.

Responding to his exchange with Boris Johnson, Mr Salem later said: "My Labour values are WHY I back proper support for the NHS. I am not ashamed of them."

Labour MP Wes Streeting added Omar was a "great" activist but added: "As Omar's MP I can tell you that what you saw on TV was the outpouring of frustration from a loving and anxious father.

"I hope the Prime Minister saw it that way, too, and does something about it."

Alan Gurney, Chief Executive of Whipps Cross hospital, later admitted the ward had been understaffed.

He said in a statement: “We are constantly reviewing staffing levels on our wards to ensure our patients are safe at all times.

"But occasionally - as in fact happened on this ward last night - an unexpected emergency in one part of the hospital can cause a temporary pressure elsewhere."

A Royal College of Nursing spokesman praised Mr Salem's actions.

They said: "Just hours after nursing staff pulled back the curtain on dire shortages across the country, the public is following our request for them to speak up.

(Image: PA)

"This is not comfortable for anybody but it’s a frank conversation the public and politicians need to have and will be a big issue in any forthcoming election. Today’s example is a warning to all parties that they need to have clear and meaningful answers on how they’ll resolve this crisis.”

Labour General Secretary Jennie Formby tweeted: "Yes Omar Salem is a Labour activist but much more importantly, he's the father of a 7 day old baby who is desperately concerned about lack of staff available to care for his daughter. He has every right to criticise Johnson's shameless use of the NHS as a photo-opportunity."

Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth said: "Boris Johnson simply can't be honest with people. He can make as many phoney announcements on the NHS as he likes but he can't hide from the truth, or from patients.

"The Tories have plunged the health service into crisis through years of cuts and privatisation and the Prime Minister can't run from the consequences this had has for patient care."

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said Mr Johnson was visiting public services to see for himself the reality of the situation.

(Image: PA)

The spokesman said the man was understandably "very distressed" and the Prime Minister was "not going to hide away from those circumstances when he goes on these visits, and so obviously is keen to talk to people and empathise and see what he can do to help".

"It's also a reminder of why exactly he is so keen to make the NHS a priority and make sure it's getting the funding that it requires," the spokesman added.

Mr Johnson told the man: "We're actually here to find out what we can do..."

But he replied: "It's a bit late isn't it? Years and years and years of the NHS being destroyed."

A No10 source later acknowledged the dad had clearly had a difficult experience with the NHS.

They added: "This is exactly the kind of person the Prime Minister should be meeting."

(Image: PA)

Boris Johnson later said he was “glad” Mr Salem confronted him and “it doesn’t matter” whether they agreed politically.

The Tory leader tweeted: “I’ve been PM for 57 days, part of my job is to talk to people on the ground and listen to what they tell me about the big problems.

“It doesn’t matter if they agree with me. I’m glad this gentleman told me his problems. This isn’t an embarrassment this is part of my job.”

Mr Salem was the latest and most devastating of a string of members of the public confronting Boris Johnson in recent weeks.

(Image: PA)

A voter in Doncaster stopped him in the street last week saying: "People have died because of austerity.

"And you’ve got the cheek to come here and tell us austerity is over and it’s all good now and we’re going to leave the EU now and everything’s going to be great – it’s a fairytale."

A heckler interrupted a speech he gave in Rotherham telling him to "get back to Parliament" and "sort out the mess that you have created".

And a voter in Leeds politely told him "please leave my town" while on a walkabout in West Yorkshire.

Stella Creasy, Labour MP for nearby Walthamstow, was at the hospital as a patient around the same time as the Prime Minister arrived.

She said the NHS is "in tatters thanks to his government."

Transcript: Angry dad's full exchange with Boris Johnson

Omar Salem: My daughter nearly died. My daughter nearly died yesterday. I came in and A&E guys were great, but we then came down to this ward here. It took us two hours... [inaudible] it took us two hours for [inaudible] to be put into my seven-day-old daughter. Seven day old. She was six days and 22 hours or something. And that's just not acceptable. This ward is not safe for children. There was one registrar covering the entirety of this ward and the neonatal unit. That is just not acceptable, is it?

Boris Johnson:[Inaudible]

Omar Salem: Would you like that for your own children?

[video cuts]

Omar Salem: There are not enough people on this ward, there are not enough doctors, there's not enough nurses, it's not well organised enough. The NHS has been destroyed, it's been destroyed, it's been destroyed, and now you come here for a press opportunity!

Boris Johnson: Well actually there's no press here. [Gesturing at press] They're... [mumbles inaudibly]

Omar Salem: What do you mean there's no press here! Who are these people?

Hospital staff member: Sir, we need you to stop raising your voice now...

Hospital chief executive: I'm the hospital chief executive...

Boris Johnson: We're actually here to find out what we can do to refurbish this hospital... [inaudible]

Omar Salem: Well that's not going to fix things now. It's a bit late isn't it? Years and years and years of the NHS being destroyed...

Boris Johnson: ... We're putting more money...

Omar Salem: ... And you're telling me there are no press here? There are no press here?

Boris Johnson: As far as I'm aware this is not a... [inaudible]

Omar Salem: This is a press opportunity. You didn't invite the press here? You didn't ask them to come? You don't have a press handler back here?

Hospital chief executive:[Arm outstretched] Sir, Sir, Sir, I'm the hospital chief executive...

Omar Salem: Okay, well, fine, well in your La La Land believe whatever you want.

[Man walks away with the hospital chief executive's arm on his shoulder].

Are you the man who confronted Boris Johnson or do you know him? You can contact our political team using the form below.