Boris Johnson is ‘in the best possible hands’ at St Thomas’ where top medics are leading the fight against coronavirus
BORIS Johnson is in the "best possible hands" at St Thomas' Hospital and will be treated by the country's most experienced medics, experts say.
The prime minister was taken to intensive care at the central London facility this evening after being admitted yesterday with "persistent symptoms" from the coronavirus.
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Number Ten said the move had been made on the advice of doctors because his symptoms had worsened this afternoon.
Speaking to the Sun, Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and medical director of , said: "The team at St Thomas's have basically seen more patients than the rest of the UK.
"They have more experience of coronavirus than almost all other hospitals.
"They have the top doctors in the country, and what's more they have seen more Covid-19 patients.
"St Thomas's is a major trauma centre, and along with the Royal Free was the first hospital in the UK to see any coronavirus patients.
"London is about two to three weeks ahead of the rest of the UK and Guys and St Thomas's are about two to three weeks ahead of the rest of London in terms of how they understand this disease.
"He couldn't be in better hands."
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The prime minister spent ten days in self-isolation after announcing his diagnosis with coronavirus, but was taken to hospital after his symptoms failed to clear.
Reports say he was given oxygen this afternoon, though has not been put on a ventilator.
Professor Mike Grocott, a member of the Royal College of Anaesthesiologists and Professor of Critical Care at the University of Southampton, echoed the message from Dr Jarvis.
"St Thomas's have among the most experience of Covid-19, it's one of the biggest centres and they have certainly seen a large number of patients with Covid-19,"he told the Sun.
"He's in good hands."
He said that, in the case of Covid-19, the most common reason for patients to end up in intensive care is a problem with the lungs.
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MOST READ IN HEALTH
He added that being on ICU would make sure the medics treating the prime minister would have ready access to the right equipment and medications should they need them.
The prime minister is now being deputised for by Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who tonight said the government would be continuing in its efforts to tackle the pandemic.
"[The prime minister] has been receiving excellent care at St Thomas’s hospital," Raab said.
"And we'd like to take this opportunity as a government to thank NHS staff up and down the country for all of their dedication, hard work and commitment in treating everyone who's been affected by this awful virus.
"There's an incredibly strong team spirit behind the Prime Minister, and making sure that we get all of the plans the Prime Minister’s instructed us to deliver to get them implemented as soon as possible."
The coronavirus has infected at least 51,000 people in the UK and more than 1.3 million worldwide since breaking out in December.
