GREATER Manchester celebrities have pitched in to praise NHS staff with what they hope will be this year's Christmas Number One single

The song Thank U NHS, combines the sounds and lyrics of The Kinks' single, Days, which was first released in 1968 and Thank You Very Much by The Scaffold, originally released in November, 1967.

The stars singing the song include former Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh, actress Sadie Frost and Salford Jets frontman Mike Sweeney, Happy Mondays' Shaun Ryder, comedian Johnny Vegas, which mixes the two 60s classic in a rallying call by thanking all NHS staff.

Part of the lyric Ryder sings is: "Thank you very much for saving Uncle Sidney" and added after the recording, that he wanted so much to do it because he and his family were helped on numerous occasions by the NHS and its staff.

The latest release is the idea of Manchester filmaker Simon Lewis who was behind a film and ad campaign that took the NHS Choir to Number one in 2015 A Bridge Over You.

Simon was also behind the film and ad campaign that helped take the NHS Choir to number one in 2015.

Simon says: “Many of my family work within the NHS so I see first-hand the incredible strain they are under, and how it can affect their morale.

The lyrics include: Thank you very much for curing my stammer

Thank you very much for treating my dear ma

Thank you very much for treating my asthma

Thank you very much for beating my cancer

Gary Hilton, from Over Hulton, put the two songs together with Steve Southern, of Media City based GAS music.

Gary said: "The NHS is our heartbeat, our life support machine, our 21st century iron lung. It's 24/7 non stop, every day is a long day — it's full of the most dedicated, hardworking people who care for us — who are there for us through good and bad, birth and death.

"The most important thing, the easiest, simple yet effective, human thing we can do as a collective, is to acknowledge this with a 'thank you'. The vehicle for this is a film and a song, the proceeds of which will go direct to the NHS.

Gary adds: "We want everyone who has ever been treated by the NHS to buy the single.

"Please share your story, share you picture, take the song to No1."

To support the NHS share and send your #ThankUNHS photos and videos to kayleigh@thegatefilms.com and/or post them socially using #ThankUNHS thankunhs.com

The track and a link to the film: “Thank U NHS”, featuring Johnny Vegas, Shaun Ryder and friends https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYteI_jpbGg

It's available to buy / download and then on all major platforms through next week.

https://thegeneralpublic-ft-johnny-vegas.bandcamp.com/