Louise Thompson pays tribute to NHS staff who ‘worked through the night to save my life’

‘Honestly where would we be without the NHS?’ says former star of Made in Chelsea

(Instagram/@louisethompson)

Louise Thompson has thanked the NHS staff who took care of her when she gave birth to her son Leo-Hunter five weeks ago.

Earlier this week, the former Made In Chelsea star revealed that she had suffered from complications during labour and was taken to the intensive care unit (ICU) while her baby was treated in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Now, Thompson - who welcomed her first child with partner Ryan Libbey - has paid tribute to the nurses and doctors who treated her.

In an Instagram post shared on Christmas Day, the reality TV star, 31, shared a photograph of herself in a wheelchair in the “sky garden” of the hospital where she delivered her son.

“It certainly wasn’t the Christmas that we had planned, but then again neither were the last three and I’m still feeling overwhelmingly blessed to be at home and in my little bubble,” Thompson wrote in the caption before going on to reflect on the roles of frontline workers.

“My experience has got me thinking a lot about this time of the year, especially thinking about all those people that work on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve etc.

“Those are days that most people spend celebrating at home with friends/family/loved ones, but others make a sacrifice for the greater good.

“It is a necessary sacrifice, but not everyone could do it. A 1-hour shift all through the day or night is admirable on a regular day, let alone on Christmas Day or tonight. I guess I think about it a lot more now because I know and care about a bunch of the ladies who have committed to working today but also because one of my ongoing fears is ending up in the back of an ambulance on an evening where they might be short-staffed.

“Honestly where would we be without the NHS? I know where I would be.”

Thompson went on to say how she had planned to go back to the hospital where she was treated following her labour to give the staff gifts but could not visit due to coronavirus restrictions.

“For now I want to say a big thank you to anyone who happens to be reading this who works for our NHS,” she said.“I want to thank the room full of people who worked through the night to save my life. Many of them were called in from their family homes at an unearthly hour.

“I met a lot of people with A LOT of different roles and every single person is a crucial part in the cog. To the midwives, nurses, registrars, doctors, consult.”

Additional reporting by PA