Hastings musician writes song for NHS

Jerri-leigh Brodie wrote Unite to raise awareness about the plight of the NHS and to encourage more support for junior doctors and more funding for treatments.

The 20-year-old singer-songwriter has lived in Hastings all her life and was inspired to write the song after looking into how much the service is struggling and in need of support.

“Its about what we can do as humans and people to save something many of us really couldn’t ‘live’ without,” she said.

“The thought of not having free NHS services, is really quite scary, and the thought of the NHS workers having to work longer, unhealthy hours is also just as terrifying.

“So this song is for them, and its about uniting as one so that we can all stand for something and fight this shameful battle.”

In the midst of another junior doctor’s strike on Wednesday (March 9), Jerri-leigh hopes to bring people together with the song and stop fighting.

The song is being listened to by BBC Introducing and she is making a video for it over the weekend using footage from the protests.

There is also hope of it being used as part of the Save Our NHS campaign.

Jerri-leigh said it came about through her housemate, who works at the Conquest Hospital.

“I was asked by a friend to write a song about the NHS and their current situation, and about how that made me feel,” she said.

“But truthfully I didn’t really understand what was going on, I was very naive.

“So, with the recommendation of my friend I decided to ask questions, not just ignore what’s going on, but actually ask.

“What I heard was pretty terrifying, and it lead me to this song.”

Jerri-leigh says her song is not political; she just wants to raise awareness and support for the NHS.

The song references a young boy dying because his mother cannot afford his medicine, but who can be saved by investing in the NHS.

“When did it become acceptable to over work people and potentially leave people to die because they can’t afford the curing medicine that they need,” she said.

“I am not stupid, I understand it’s expensive to save people lives but that’s it, they’re people, they’re human.

“And I just believe we need to invest in people. So that’s what inspired this song, it’s laid out in a way that explains what they do, in a very personal way, and about how actually, what they do matters.”

Jerri-leigh’s song talks about a dying boy in the hope this will inspire people to invest in the NHS and allow everyone access to free medicine.

“I give a solution to this, a way that wont happen, a way that he wont die,” she said.

“We ‘unite’. Together as one, we invest in our NHS services and we save that young boy. We save ourselves.

“Its time we changed the world, one by one.”

To listen to the song visit: www.soundcloud.com/jerri-leigh-brodie-1/unite-written-in-aid-of-the-nhs.

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