Justin Bieber Has Slim Lead in Race for UK No. 1

All proceeds from the track will be shared between charities Carers UK and Mind with a percentage also being distributed between Samh (Scotland) and Niamh (Northern Ireland).

“A Bridge Over You” by the Lewisham and Greenwhich Trust group is a stirring mix of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and Coldplay’s “Fix You”, and aims to celebrate the staff who look after patients during the festive period and all year round.

“After Christmas you can get back to downloading and streaming Bieber”.

Speaking ahead of the announcement, representatives of the NHS Choirtold the Official Charts Company they hoped a number one would bring much-needed a morale boost to staff.

The choir was launched in 2013 when it narrowly missed out on the Christmas number one.

The NHS Choir said it has taken inspiration from a 2009 campaign to get Rage Against The Machine to the top of the charts, to encourage people to root for the pop underdog.

The X Factor victor Louisa Johnson is at number six with her single Forever Young, while Stormzy’s Shut Up is sitting at number eight.

The X Factor team reportedly regret this year’s winning song after Louisa Johnson flopped in the charts.

This year’s Christmas Number One will be the first to be announced since the Official UK Top 40 moved from a Sunday to Friday.

Elsewhere, Bieber’s Sorry is at number three mid-week and One Direction’s History could be entering this week’s Top 10, climbing from 11 to 10.

The accompanying video incorporates “wedding vow” style slogans such as “for richer or for poorer” to highlight the unique relationship between the NHS and those it treats.

Two other Christmas number one contenders are now outside the top five.

Shakin’ Stevens’ has also released Echoes Of Merry Christmas Everyone, an updated version of the classic song to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Finally, Chris Rea’s Driving Home For Christmas is at 37.