GoT star Emilia Clarke praises nurses who cared for her father as he died of cancer
The actress, whose father died of cancer in July 2016, detailed the expertise and compassion of the people caring for him in his last days.
Speaking at an awards ceremony in London, the Royal College of Nursing ambassador, 31, said: "Even in my lifetime, nursing has drastically changed. Nurses are beginning to smash the old stereotypes and, for the first time, performing operations and running doctors' surgeries.
"Our NHS, and other health services around the world, simply could not function without you. But even with the support you give, you aren't getting it in return.
"Today's nurses appear an easy target for cuts, not the priority for investment."
She added: "This reality breaks my heart, as two years ago on the 10th of July I lost my darling dad.
"Our experience was shaped by the care he received. I was given the opportunity to be involved in the intricacies that made up a day of trying to save his life and it showed me with such clarity, not only the awe-inspiring skill that the nurses clearly had, but the emotional intelligence that came along with it.