Covid vaccine effort makes Ashfield MP Lee Anderson so proud of the NHS and its volunteers

The staff inside are doing an incredible job but there was a problem with the queueing system born out of some complications with the building.

This meant we had people in their 80s waiting outside in the cold.

As I stood with the people in the queue, I was making calls to local health chiefs to make my feelings known.

There were a few choice words and as you know I am always very supportive of our health service but when I witnessed first-hand our elderly stood outside in freezing conditions then something had to be done.

Finally, all the people were taken inside and the following day I returned to see a brand-new queueing system inside the building with extra seating in place.

I cannot fault the front-line staff who have worked their socks off to make this work.

When you see an operation like this with all the medical professionals and our own residents all coming together for the national effort it really brings it home.

Around two million people have already been vaccinated in the UK and we have hit 200,000 vaccinations in one day.

Be in no doubt, this is a monumental effort by our NHS, its staff and all the volunteers and I feel very proud of this country.

Last week I received an email from a constituent named Rob who wanted to tell me about his experience at the A&E at Kings Mill Hospital and the first-class service he received from staff at a time when he was feeling really scared.

I met with the hospital’s chief executive last week and I was quick to tell him of Rob and his positive Kings Mill experience.

I started life as a miner at Sutton Colliery in Stanton Hill moving on to work at Creswell, Welbeck and Manton Colliery, so I was delighted to be offered a position as a Board Member for the National Coal Mining Museum near Wakefield.

We should never forget our industrial past and I feel privileged to be involved in such an exciting project.

I look forward to putting the helmet and cap lamp back on and going underground to remind myself of where I have come from.

Not that I need reminding.

Lee Anderson is MP for Ashfield.