TV and radio presenter Richard Bacon has opened new wards at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich and spoken of how the NHS saved his life.

The former Blue Peter star was placed in an induced coma last year after being admitted to Lewisham Hospital with shortness of breath – eventually being diagnosed with pneumonia.

The celebrity, who lives in America with wife Rebecca and two kids, officially opened the new wards at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which is run by the same NHS trust as Lewisham.

“Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust saved my life,” he said as he cut the ribbon.

“The only reason I can stand here today is because of the work that your team did. That’s the only reason my children still have a father.

MORE - Mums whose kids have been taken into care will get help - and asked to go on contraception

“My wife Rebecca said that the thing that blew her away was the care from the staff. They expected me to die and she knew that.

“She was amazed at the compassion they showed her. She said ‘that’s beyond the training, that’s just being a great human’.

“That speaks to the level of care that you get from Lewisham and Greenwich.

“I live in America and if you want to understand the value of the NHS you can do two things. You can get critically ill and be treated by it or you can move to America and I have done both.

“When you see what life is like there, especially for poorer people where healthcare is not free at point of use, you see that the key thing that makes Britain special is the NHS.”

The new wards, which started operating in December, are now fully set up with 47 beds that provide “critical space”.

MORE - Queen Elizabeth Hospital: NHS boss on why patients treated in corridors

Wards 22 and 23 will act as “short stay” space for patients moving out of an A&E which is routinely stretched to capacity.

The new facilities are just behind A&E and feature a surgical assessment unit.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital had to treat patients in corridors over winter as it dealt with immense pressure on its services.

Emergency department attendances at QEH between January and December alone was 168,632.

Speaking as the new wards were opened, chief executive of the trust Ben Travis said the beds were critical over Christmas, helping the hospital manage huge demand.