Sir Rod Stewart has revealed he has been unable to pay for medical procedures for members of the public as health organisations have yet to take him up on the offer.
In February, the singer-songwriter appeared at a mobile MRI scanning unit outside his local hospital Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex after paying for a day of scans.
Sir Rod provided an undisclosed amount of money to the NHS Trust in February which enabled the one-day hire of a specialist mobile MRI unit to complement the hospital’s existing capacity and complete at least 20 more scans.
However, he has now revealed he has been trying to do a similar thing elsewhere around the country but has been left frustrated with nobody else accepting his offer.
Sir Rod has become entrenched in the deepening NHS crisis following a surprise phone call into Sky News where he first aired his desire to fund some procedures after his own scan.
“I said when I did Sky TV that I want to try and do them all over the country. I’m not going to show up and be photographed, I just wanted to do it,” he said.
“It’s like banging your head against a brick wall. I can’t get any response.
“People are crying out for MRIs, I’m willing to pay for them, 30 or 40 in a few hours, and I can’t get anybody to do it for me.”
Philanthropy
In an interview with PA news agency he also reiterated his desire to fund extra procedures without taking public accolades for his philanthropy.
“I want to keep it going. I don’t want it to look like it was a publicity stunt,” Sir Rod, who has a tour this summer with Boy George and Culture Club as a support act, said.
In February Sir Rod made a visit to the mobile MRI van at the Essex NHS hospital in his white Rolls-Royce and posed for photos with surprised staff and patients.
“I didn’t have an album coming out or anything … I wanted the people to know I was doing it, but now I want it to go on and on and on and I’m not getting any response,” he added.
Stephanie Lawton, chief operating officer at PAHT, said in February: “It has been fantastic to work with Sir Rod and we are grateful for his donation and support.
“We have been able to scan between 20-25 additional patients today, which will help to reduce our waiting list by 10 per cent, and move those patients on to the next stage of their diagnosis and treatment.
“A huge thank you to Sir Rod and we would be delighted to work with him again in the future.”
Sir Rod also called NHS staff “absolutely right” to strike amid the ongoing junior doctor and nurses strikes.
“I’m well on their side. I was absolutely with them, they come before anything,” he said.
Boy George
Speaking about Boy George, whose real name is George O’Dowd, Sir Rod told PA: “We go back a long way, we’ve had some fun times together. I can’t wait to get with him. He’s a lovely fella and I know he loves me too, it’s love all round.”
The tour will kick off at Home Park Stadium in Plymouth on June 24 before heading to Northampton’s cinch Stadium and the Badminton Estate in Bristol, which is hosting a live event for the first time.
The UK summer dates, part of Sir Rod’s Global Hits Tour, will culminate in two shows at Edinburgh Castle on July 6 and 7, which is Sir Rod’s first performance at the historic site for 13 years.
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