Overweight nurses should ‘obesity courses’, claims a local Councillor.
A Yorkshire Parish Councillor launched a ‘vile’ attack on a group of nurses yesterday as they delivered three supersized letters to the Department of Health and Social Care.
Cllr James Dalton, former UKIP candidate and co-founder of The Democrats and Veterans Direct Democracy Party in Holme Valley Parish Council suggested that the nurses should attend an “obesity course” and questioned ‘Why aren’t they nursing?”.
The comments came following a demonstration outside the Department of Health and Social Care where the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) was calling on Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to deliver staffing legislation.
A “culture of avoidance”.
Following the controversial comments, hundreds of healthcare professionals took to social media to condemn the opinions of the Councillor.
Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer for England, said in defence of the nurses; “Please have the decency to remove your tweet? I for one don’t believe these nurses need an obesity course. Nurses in England are doing a grand job right now.”
Responding, to Ms May, the Councillor said; “Perhaps focus on your job and address the obesity epidemic rather than join a Twitter mob.”
At the time of publication, the thread has hundreds of replies. In several tweets following Cllr Dalton directly attacked members of the nursing community – calling those who defended the group “self-righteous bigotry”.
‘I can be as rude as I like’.
He went on to accused the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) of having a “culture of avoidance” and being “infected by left wing extremism”.
Cllr Dalton has refused to apologise for his comments and told the ExaminerLive; “I can be as rude as I like,”
Adding; “My clients can sack me if I’m rude to them, but nurses are paid by our taxes to nurse.”
“We don’t pay them to go out and campaign or go on Twitter. We pay them to nurse.
“It’s a really bad example for nurses in that picture to be clinically obese.”
The Democrats and Veterans Direct Democracy Party and Holme Valley Parish Council have not responded to a request for comment.
This post was updated at 18:00 to reflect new information and to address concerns raised about the headline.