Online editor's blog: A surprise appearance by the Prime Minister

A flying visit from Gordon Brown lights up the Nursing Times Awards, and leaves online editor Gabriel Fleming feeling a bit giddy

The great and good of the nursing community, as well as the Nursing Times editorial team, went slightly giddy last night as the surprise guest of the Nursing Times Awards 2008 turned out to be none other than Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The PM was on sparkling form (I did say we were giddy), peppering heartfelt praise for nurses with a series of well-received jokes. Yes, Gordon Brown was cracking jokes. And people were laughing.

The online team received a harsh lesson in political access when our request for a 'private' interview was laughed out the door by his no-nonsense security team. Looking back, the assumption that a man with a global economic crisis in his in-tray would make time for two web geeks with a handicam was a tad optimistic. You live and learn.

But we do have the official NT Awards footage of the PM's speech, as well as many hours of footage of jubilant nurses enjoying their well-derserved moments of glory, and candid chats with health minister Ann Keen and other big-hitters and opinion leaders. All will be revealed on nursingtimes.net shortly.

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