Adam Kay is bringing together 100 celebrities to tell stories of the NHS

Junior doctor-turned-comic and best-selling author Adam Kay is better placed than most to understand the challenges facing the NHS through the Covid-19 crisis.

And he’s putting that passion for the health service to good use for his new book Dear NHS: 100 Stories to Say Thank You which brings together 100 big-name celebrities to share their personal stories of the NHS.

Contributors come from across the celebrity spectrum with Peter Capaldi. Caitlin Moran, Charlie Brooker and Frankie Boyle joining the likes of Irvine Welsh, Nick Hornby, Dame Jacqueline Wilson, Jilly Cooper and Robert Webb.

Sue Perkins, Martin Freeman, Shappi Khorsandi, David Baddiel, Kathy Burke, Bill Bryson, Ian Rankin, E.L. Jame, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Big Issue 2019 Changemaker Jojo Moyes are also among the names confirmed, with more to come before the July 9 publication date.

Much like The Big Issue’s own Letter To My Younger Self book, Kay’s curated and edited effort aims to hone in on personal stories, from the heartfelt to the hilarious. The book aims to shine a light on the life-saving work that NHS doctors and nurses do every day.

All profits from the book will go to NHS Charities Together to fund vital research and projects, and The Lullaby Trust which supports parents bereaved of babies and young children.

Adam Kay said: “Every single one of us owes so much to the NHS. It is our single greatest achievement as a nation, always there for us, and never more so than now. Since this project was conceived barely a week ago, I have been blown away by the number of people who have been in touch to share their amazing stories.

“I hope that the book, and the money it raises for charity, will in some way manage to say thank you to the heroes who are putting our lives before their own every day.”

As well as the written contributions, Dear NHS will also feature an exclusive new scene from Peter Kay’s BAFTA award-winning Car Share.

Adam Kay last spoke to The Big Issue at Christmas where, unaware of the looming public health crisis that would soon arrive, he pleaded with the Government to fund the NHS adequately.