UK

‘Bionic’ former MP who lost limbs to sepsis shares video exercising in gym

Lord Craig Mackinlay praised the ‘heroic’ NHS.

Craig Mackinlay lost his limbs to sepsis
Craig Mackinlay lost his limbs to sepsis (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

A former MP who lost his limbs to sepsis has posted a video of himself exercising in a gym a year after being in hospital with the life-threatening condition.

On September 28 last year, Lord Craig Mackinlay was put into an induced coma, with his wife told he had only a 5% chance of survival.

The 57-year-old father-of-one was in a coma for 16 days before undergoing a quadruple amputation in December and returning to the House of Commons in May.

On Saturday, he posted a video of himself working out, praising the “heroic work” of the NHS.

He said on X: “Exactly a year ago, I had gone into septic shock and was put into an induced coma.

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“Things were looking truly bleak for my survival. Heroic work by the NHS saved me, took off a few bits & patched me up.

“A year on I’m doing OK.

“I’ve learnt a lot about the NHS, sepsis & provision of prosthetics. A mixed bag, not all as good as it can be. I’ll be addressing these issues.”

Former South Thanet MP Lord Mackinlay said he could be referred to as the “bionic Lord” after he was given a seat in the House of Lords in Rishi Sunak’s dissolution honours list.

He stood down as a Tory MP at the last general election.

Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection that occurs when the immune system overreacts and starts to damage the body’s tissues and organs.