AN NHS front line worker from Broomfield Hospital has been suspended for telling covid-deniers on Facebook to follow the government rules.

Gary Oldershaw, 53 from St Osyth took to social media after a 12-hour shift in the intensive care unit where he saw seven patients lost their lives.

The 53-year-old was reduced to tears for the first time in 30 years on the job after seeing young and healthy people lose their lives to the virus.

A frustrated Gary took to Facebook to plea to covid-deniers to follow the guidelines.

But after an anonymous complaint was made about the content of his post, the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, who oversee Broomfield Hospital, have suspended Gary for "bringing the trust into disrepute".

Gary said he never mentioned where he worked and only offered the governments own advice, but admitted he could have avoided using such "colourful language".

He said it has left him with a ‘bitter taste’ in the mouth.

Gary, who came out of semi-retirement to help treat coronavirus patients, has now vowed never to return to the hospital where he worked for 17 years.

At the end of last year, hospitals in Essex declared a 'major incident' after they were overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients.

"All I wanted to do was help, and despite how difficult it was, I felt like I was doing good work in the intensive care unit.” said Gary.

“This is not what the NHS needs, we’re in a pandemic, the hospitals are overwhelmed. We need as many people to help out.

“They didn’t need to take it this far. I think they could have spoken to me and had a chat but instead I’ve just been suspended.

“I was absolutely gutted. I came home totally deflated. I couldn’t understand why I was suspended.”

A spokesperson for the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust said: "As this is an ongoing investigation the Trust are unable to make comment."