The George Cross is the second highest award of the United Kingdom honours system awarded for acts of the greatest heroism or for most conspicuous courage in circumstance of extreme danger, not in the presence of the enemy, to members of the British armed forces and to British civilians.

As this describes perfectly the courage and gallantry of everyone in the NHS battling the effects of COVID-19 we hereby petition Prime Minister Boris Johnson to award the George Cross to the people of the NHS, as was done for the people of Malta in the Second World War. 

This does not exclude individual awards being made for exceptional service but recognises the exceptional service and sacrifice made by all our health care workers.