Graduate performer in hospital, sick, leaving worker to deal with the rubbish (7)
I believe the answer is:
dustman
'graduate performer in hospital sick' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'worker to deal with the rubbish' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'worker' could be 'man' (man is a kind of worker) and 'man' is located in the answer.
'the' could be 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects) and 't' is found in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
'leaving' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for dustman that I've seen before include "My old man's occupation" , "Bin emptier" , "I clear what's left" , "Refuse worker" , "Garbage collector" .)