GB News host Martin Daubney has applauded NHS Nurse Julia Taylor for speaking "common sense", as she hit out at the health service's spending on diversity initiatives.

In an exclusive investigation by the People's Channel, GB News found that 20 NHS trusts are now spending more than £3,000,000 on diversity, equality and inclusivity initiatives.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London was the biggest spender, racking up a cost of £519,247 on seven DEI roles.

Reacting to the investigation's findings on GB News, NHS Psychiatric Nurse Julia Taylor said the initiatives "create division", and "erodes trust" among staff.

Martin Daubney applauded Julia Taylor for her 'common sense' as she

Taylor told Martin: "Imagine how many nurses we could have for that money? Diversity and inclusion initiatives as currently implemented might be wrong for the NHS.

"First, the NHS is stretched really thin, as we all know, with over 7.5 million patients on waiting lists and chronic staff shortages. I think spending millions on diversity, personnel and mandatory training diverts precious resources from frontline care. Nurses, doctors and equipment need priority.

"Second, prioritising demographic quotas over merit risks undermining patient safety, hiring or promoting based on identity rather than qualifications can erode trust and competence in a system where lives are just at stake."

She added: "Third, these initiatives can create division when staff feel opportunities are tied to characteristics rather than performance, morale suffers. This disrupts teamwork, which is critical to healthcare. Fourth, programs often lack evidence linking them to better patient outcomes.

A general view of staff on a NHS hospital wardPA

"And excessive focus on DEI can foster resentment because staff perceive favouritism rather than workplace cohesion, and the NHS must focus on excellent and patient outcomes, not bureaucratic mandates. Let's invest in care, not ideology. Surely that's common sense."

Astonished at Taylor's response, Martin hailed: "Oh my God, where have you been all my life?! That was just absolutely fantastic. That's exactly what people want to hear, and I think people are crying out for people like you to speak common sense.

"If we have more people like you speaking truth to power, we might have half a chance. Thank you for just crystallising what I think many, many people watching this channel think is the common sense approach. You've just shot right into the top ten of my favourite ever guests on this entire channel!"

Asking if her views on DEI may land her in "hot water", Taylor assured: "I'm in the Free Speech Union, so I've got a bit of back behind me, but everything I've said is true, it's fact.

Taylor told GB News that patients wouldn't give a 'monkey's chuff' that she is gay and disabled

"We need to start employing people on merit. I hit two of the protected characteristics, I'm actually gay and I'm registered disabled, but I didn't get my job because of that. I never put it down on the form because I don't think that's fair. When you protect somebody's characteristics, anybody that isn't in that protected characteristics list is left out."

Claiming that the push for DEI hires may cause "resentment" among employees, Taylor concluded: "In the NHS, you feel resentment and you think, did they get the job because they've transitioned?

"Did she get the job because she's gay? What about her there sitting in a wheelchair, did she get that because she's disabled? It's not right.

"What happened to just having staff that are non-judgemental? Because at the end of the day, I'm sure anybody that wants to be looked after by me, and I would do it really well, like I do with all of my patients, wouldn't give a monkey's chuff if I was gay or disabled. They don't care, they just want to be looked after. It's common sense."