Boris Johnson has thanked the NHS for saving his life as he battled coronavirus.
In his video posted to Twitter, the Prime Minister said it was "hard to find words to express his debt" to the health service.
He said: “It is thanks to that devotion, that duty, and that love, that our NHS has been unbeatable.”
He thanked a number of staff members by name, including two nurses from New Zealand and Portugal who stood by his bedside for 48 hours, “when things could have gone either way".
"I have seen the personal courage, not just doctors and nurses, but of everyone. The cleaners, the cooks, the healthcare workers of every description, physios, radiographers, pharmacists - who have kept coming to work, kept putting themselves in harm's way."
He also praised the general public for adhering to lockdown measures.
Adding: "When the natural world is at its loveliest and the outdoor world seems so inviting, I can only imagine how tough it has been to follow the rules on social distancing."
He said the British public have formed a “human shield” around the NHS and that he has seen the pressure the service is under over the past seven days, thanking the wide range of staff who continue to work throughout the outbreak.
He added: “The efforts of millions of people across this country to stay home are worth it.
“Together we will overcome this challenge, as we have overcome so many challenges in the past. #StayHomeSaveLives.”
