A picture of an NHS surgical team who come from around the European Union has been shared thousands of times online in defiance of Brexit.
The photo, titled ‘We are Europe!’, shows three scrub nurses from Spain, an Irish radiographer, a German consultant anaesthetist, a Greek urology specialist registrar and a British Pakistani consultant urologist.
Junaid Masood, who posted the picture while working at Homerton University Hospital in east London, said immigration is ‘the backbone’ of the NHS.
The locum consultant urologist wrote: ‘Today we have been hard at work improving people’s lives! This is what our friends from Europe do for the NHS.’
He added: ‘Let’s speak out for working together and not being a divided society. Immigration has been the backbone of the NHS we all love and cherish, and is good for our society and country!!’
Junaid Masood (left), who posted the picture while at Homerton University Hospital in London, said immigration is ‘the backbone’ of the NHS. The photo, titled ‘We are Europe!’, shows three scrub nurses from Spain, an Irish radiographer, a German consultant anaesthetist, a Greek urology specialist registrar and Mr Masood, a British Pakistani consultant urologist
The picture has been shared more nearly 17,000 times on Facebook alone – and re-tweeted hundreds of times.
Messages of support have been left by many who have seen the picture and who were disappointed by the result of last week’s vote.
Among them was Eric Rose, a retired doctor who says he worked alongside medical staff from all over the world while working for the NHS.
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He said the image reduced him to tears as it reflected the ever-changing nationalities who make up the NHS.
‘When I first saw this photo I found myself weeping. It was hard to explain why at the time,’ he wrote on Facebook.
‘It just seemed to me to sum up what I love about our society as it was before last Thursday and especially the NHS. I was horrified to hear so many including so me ‘intelligent’ people I know saying that immigration was the main reason why they voted Brexit.’
Members of the public also sent messages of support.
‘Some of us really value your intelligence, commitment and professionalism. Long may we be able to keep you with us on this mad island!’, wrote John Roberts.
Marina Seminario, 26, from Malaga in Spain, is one of the nurses pictured and has worked at Homerton for three and a half years, the Hackey Gazette reports.
‘I particularly enjoy working with so many colleagues from around the world – if I went back to Spain it is this that I would miss most. I am happy here and hope that I can stay in the future,’ she said.
A spokesperson for Homerton University Hospital said: ‘Homerton is already well known for the diversity of its patient population, but like other NHS hospitals, Homerton also employs health care professionals from around the world, including the EU.
‘We are proud of the quality of the staff we attract and hope they all continue to provide high quality services for many years to come.’
The post has been shared more than 17,000 times on Facebook and Twitter with people writing messages of support