WORCESTER'S MP says he is doing what he can to help a city doctor after it was reported he was denied a place on an evacuation plane out of Sudan.
Worcester MP Robin Walker says he has been in contact with the Foreign Office about the emergency doctor, who works at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and has become stuck in Sudan with his family during the conflict.
This is infuriating. Our team are on edge wanting one of our own to get back safely. @M_J_Hopkins has written to Home Office to chase https://t.co/ufm9DTfDdM
— David Raven 🇺🇦 (@DRaven_EM) April 27, 2023
The MP's intervention comes as a colleague of the unnamed doctor - David Raven - revealed his frustration at the situation after it was reported two doctors, the Worcester doctor among them, had been denied a seat on the evacuation plane.
Two doctors are reported to been denied a seat on the evacuation plane in #sudan
— Rebecca Thomas (@Rebeccasmt) April 27, 2023
Yesterday @Independent reported a warning from @TheBMA to goverment over this issuehttps://t.co/23wDfvd0zX https://t.co/Hm95oDRxTL
Mr Raven, Divisional Director Urgent Care and EM Consultant, wrote on Twitter: "This is infuriating.
"Our team are on edge wanting one of our own to get back safely.
"Matthew Hopkins (the trust chief executive) has written to Home Office to chase."
Fighting first broke out in Sudan on Saturday, April 15 in a clash between regime factions.
READ MORE: Worcester hospital doctor stuck in Sudan during conflict
The city's MP said he also intended to take up the matter with health ministers.
It is understood the doctor, who worked at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester, is not a British citizen and lives in the constituency of Saqib Bhatti, MP for Meriden.
We have approached Mr Bhatti for a comment about the ongoing situation.
Mr Walker said, because the unnamed doctor lives in Mr Bhatti's constituency, it may be him who is updated about the situation with regard to the doctor.
He said: "I see there is some suggestion that they are saying they can only help British citizens, not people who work in Britain who aren't British citizens.
Mr Walker said his view was that 'if someone works in our hospitals we want to be putting pressure on'.
"My understanding is that he's not a British citizen but has been working here on a visa that allows him to work here as a medic.
"That does complicate the situation as, particularly for evacuations, they're prioritising UK citizens. We want to push back on that. This is someone who is essential and has been working in our NHS," said Mr Walker.
Matthew Hopkins, Chief Executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said in a previous statement: "I have written to the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs as well as our local MP Robin Walker to urge that they do all they can to ensure his safe return as soon as possible.”
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