Some NHS staff worked similar hours but we didn't have parties at, or after, work. People banging pots was supposed to keep our morale high......
Because the role of a leader during a crisis is to keep morale high amongst those who were working 17hr days 7/7 as morale slumps.
No10 was the engine room of the country, it was important to keep people turning up and working and saying goodbye to someone who was leaving was an act of good crisis leadership and management.