Families share tragic WhatsApp messages amid Matt Hancock leaks

‘The same day I sent my care worker mam that message she was put on a ventilator and died’: Britons share their own tragic ‘leaked’ Whatsapps from 2020 after 100,000 of Matt Hancock’s own are published

  • Families have shared their heartbreaking final messages to their loved ones 
  • Among them was a student nurse who couldn’t hold her dying father’s hand

Heartbroken Britons have been sharing their own ‘leaked’ WhatsApp messages with loved ones who died during the coronavirus pandemic after thousands of Matt Hancock’s texts from 2020 were revealed. 

The former Health Secretary had about 100,000 of his private messages leaked last week by his Pandemic Diaries’ ghostwriter, Isabel Oakeshott. 

Now devastated families have taken to social media to speak out about the ‘trauma’ they suffered during the same period – with many now going viral. 

Among them was a student nurse who had to comfort dying strangers in hospital – but was unable to hold the hand of her father as he died from Covid. 

While one man shared the tragic final conversation he had with his mother before she was placed on a ventilator and later died. 

Families have shared their grief online by ‘leaking’ their own final text messages to their loved ones who died during the Covid pandemic 

Sharing a screenshot on Twitter of his tragic last text to his dying mother, Paul Quinn wrote: ‘My ‘leaked’ messages from 2020. My Mam worked in a care home all through the pandemic, the same day I sent her that last message she was put on a ventilator and died on 18th December �� #whatsapp #matthanock #leaked’.’

In an exchange seen almost 150,000 times, Mr Quinn’s mother described the horrifying conditions her care home was going through on May 27, saying: ‘Bloody hell another three residents died xxx’

In a later message, she reveals how she has contracted Covid and pleaded to find out about whether or not her son’s father was okay. 

She said: ‘Is dad alright? I’ve got covid pneumonia. Bleach everywhere.’

Also among those sharing their experience was Helene Bacca. She was a student nurse during the pandemic – and how she was unable to comfort her father, who died on November 18, 2020.  

She tweeted: ‘My dad died of Covid. I was on placement as a student nurse in the community. I could hold other patients’ hands but not his. He died alone in a hospital bed.’ 

Another user shared similar story, revealing how their parent died just two hours after their uncle – and that only 15 people were able to make it to their funerals due to the lockdown restrictions in place. 

‘My dad was 3 months in hospital, 2 of those in a coma,’ they wrote on Twitter. ‘He was so poorly. I was allowed to see him then. Not his partner, not his grandchildren. He came round and we hoped. He didn’t make it. He died 48 hours after my uncle.’ 

Grieving Britons took to social media to share their messages after former Health Secretary Matt Hancock had about 100,000 private texts he sent during 2020 leaked last week 

The comments come as Mr Hancock was accused of ‘despicable’ behaviour after leaked messages suggested he discussed withholding funding for a learning disability centre to pressure an MP not to rebel against coronavirus restrictions.

The ex-Health Secretary and an aide spoke about warning Bury North MP James Daly that a new centre for disabled children and adults would be ‘off the table’ if he voted against the Government, according to leaked WhatsApp messages.

Senior Conservative Jake Berry described the disclosure as an ‘absolute disgrace’ and called for Mr Hancock to be hauled before the Commons for questioning.

Sir Jake, whose son has disabilities, said: ‘Once you get to the point that you are weaponising the provision of care to disabled children, I think you have crossed the line.’

Mr Hancock’s team said ‘what’s being accused here never happened’ as they disputed the ‘entirely partial account’ based on a trove of his WhatsApp messages handed to the Daily Telegraph.

The newspaper said the discussion between Mr Hancock and political aide Allan Nixon came ahead of a vote on December 1 2020 on the introduction of new Covid-19 restrictions in England.

It came at a time when Whitehall was scrambling to put measures in place because tens of thousands of lives were at stake over the winter, with all options being considered to ensure the vote was won.

Matt Hancock has come under fire for some of his leaked texts, which included messages in which withholding funding for a learning disability centre to pressure an MP not to rebel against coronavirus restrictions was discussed

Mr Nixon said they needed to ‘dangle our top asks’ over some of the newest MPs who entered Parliament in 2019 through Boris Johnson’s general election victory.

Mr Nixon suggested, for example, ‘James wants his Learning Disability Hub in Bury – whips call him up and say Health team want to work with him to deliver this but that’ll be off the table if he rebels’.

‘These guys’ re-election hinges on us in a lot of instances, and we know what they want. We should seriously consider using it IMO,’ he wrote.

Mr Hancock’s response was ‘yes 100%’.

Mr Nixon said they needed to ‘dangle our top asks’ over some of the newest MPs who entered Parliament in 2019 through Boris Johnson’s general election victory

Mr Daly, a Conservative MP, told the paper he was ‘appalled’ and ‘disgusted’ that the disability hub was discussed as a way to coerce him into voting with ministers.

But he said the threat was never made to him.

Mr Hancock’s spokesman said: ‘As we’ve repeatedly seen this last week, it is completely wrong to take this entirely partial account and write it up as fact.

‘What’s being accused here never happened, demonstrating the story is wrong, and showing why such a biased, partial approach to the evidence is a bad mistake, driven by those with a vested interest and an axe to grind.

‘The right place to consider everything about the pandemic objectively is in the public inquiry.’

Rossendale and Darwen MP Sir Jake, a former Tory Party chairman, said: ‘This is an absolute disgrace.

‘Hancock should be dragged to the bar of the House of Commons first thing tomorrow morning to be questioned on this.’

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