Sir Rod Stewart has told Sky News he backs pay rises for nurses and junior doctors while warning against a move towards a US-style healthcare system.

The singer paid for members of the public to have scans at a mobile scanning unit in Essex today, which he pledged to do during a Sky News phone-in about the state of the NHS last month.

Speaking to Sky News presenter Sarah-Jane Mee today, he said: “There must be enough money in the coffers to pay up for these nurses.

‘Demoralised and angry’ junior doctors announce three-day strike – follow live

“Only two years ago we were clapping and now listen – they worked so hard.”

He added that counteroffers made by junior doctors in their negotiations, who have today announced a new wave of strikes, were “reasonable”.

Sir Rod warned: “If we don’t have the NHS, it will be like the United States.

“When you go into an emergency, they say, ‘right, go through your documents’ and it’s unbelievable in America.

“It doesn’t work there either, but I think it’s working better than [it] is here at the moment – we must pull it together.”

Sir Rod, speaking about his pledge to fund scans for members of the public, said: “If this is a big success, and I think it will be, I’d like to do it in Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and just keep it going.

“I hope some other people follow me because I want to prove I am not all mouth and no trousers – and that’s why I’m here to prove that I’ve followed through.”

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Read more: Sir Rod Stewart ‘reflected the country’s mood’ when he called for a Labour government, Sir Keir Starmer says

When he phoned Sky News last month, he explained he had been to a private clinic on Harley Street in London for his own scan, but had arrived late – only to be told the clinic wasn’t busy anyway.

“I thought, this is a terrible injustice – so here we are.”

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