Maggie T must have turned over in her grave.

In Boris Johnson's video release he says the NHS is the UK's "greatest national asset."

It is "the beating heart of this country."

He insisted on the need to "protect the NHS" from being overrun by too high a virus wave.

And that the lockdown is absolutely necessary, an absolute lifesaver that must go on.

Then he lavished thanks upon his personal caregivers and especially his ICU nurses by name.

Mr Johnson, 55, was taken to London's St Thomas' Hospital on Sunday - 10 days after testing positive for Covid-19.

He spent three nights in intensive care before returning to a ward on Thursday.

He said in a video on Twitter that he had witnessed the "personal courage" of hospital staff on the front line.

Mr Johnson said two nurses - Jenny from New Zealand and Luis from Portugal - stood by his bedside for 48 hours at the most critical time and named several other hospital workers who cared for him this past week that he wanted to thank.

He said NHS workers "kept putting themselves in harm's way, kept risking this deadly virus".

"It is thanks to that courage, that devotion, that duty and that love that our NHS has been unbeatable," he said.

. . . .

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was "delighted" the PM was out of hospital and continuing his recovery at Chequers.

He added that staff at St Thomas' would "have cared for him as they would have cared for anybody in this country," which was "one of the things that makes me so proud that the NHS is there for us all".

. . . .

Dr Ian Abbs, chief executive at Guy's and St Thomas' hospital, said: "It is a great credit to the exceptional professionalism of clinical teams, as well as everyone in the wider organisation, that we have been able to care for the prime minister so effectively, whilst continuing to deliver equally high standards of care to all of our patients.

"While it is right that we celebrate this good news, our thoughts turn immediately to those who still need our help at this time.

"On behalf of everyone at Guy's and St Thomas', I'd ask that people stay home to help us save lives and protect the NHS."