Bacon opens ward at hospital who saved his life

A TV and radio presenter has opened new wards in a hospital.

Richard Bacon – former Blue Peter presenter and radio personality – was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich in 2018 after suffering from pneumonia and was placed in an induced coma.

He returned last week to officially open two new wards with 47 beds and a surgical assessment unit.

Mr Bacon said: “It’s such an honour to open this new facility, and I’d like to thank the staff at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust for saving my life last year, when I was treated at Lewisham Hospital.

“The staff showed tremendous compassion towards me and my family.

“Everyone treated in this new facility will have their own story, and we know that they will be treated with compassion and care from staff who go the extra mile every day.”

Dr Elizabeth Aitken, medical director at the hospital, said: “These new services will make a huge difference in helping us to improve patient care.

“QEH often receives more ambulances than any other hospital in London, and in the past we simply didn’t have enough space for all our patients after they had been seen in the emergency department.

“Now, we have an additional 47 beds for patients who need a short stay in hospital and a consultant-led specialist surgical assessment unit. In the assessment unit, we can book patients in for tests and treatment as outpatients.

“Many of these patients would previously have needed to stay in hospital overnight, so expanding our specialist outpatient services improves the patient experience, helps people recover sooner and frees up beds for those most in need.”