Tory MP Craig Mackinlay recovering after sepsis left him ‘lucky to be alive’

Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay said he is recovering and is “extremely lucky” to be alive after undergoing “extreme surgery” during a battle with sepsis.

The MP for South Thanet was taken to hospital in late September but is now on the “road to recovery”, he said in an update on his website on Tuesday.

“Many readers will know that, at the end of September, I was rushed into hospital after feeling very unwell at home the preceding day,” he said.

“I was diagnosed with sepsis and placed into an induced coma with multiple organ failures shortly after.

“Treatment by the NHS has been exemplary and I’m extremely lucky to be alive. I can’t thank my doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals enough for the care I’ve received.”

Mr Mackinlay added: “The road to recovery is underway which has included some extreme surgery.”

The 57-year-old father of one announced his diagnosis on X, formerly known as Twitter, at the end of October, spurring words of well wishes from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other Cabinet members, as well as Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs.

Mr Mackinlay said he has been “overwhelmed by the kindness of friends and strangers” since his diagnosis.

He said: “I’m sure I’ll have lots more to say about the experience over the months ahead. For now, I’d like to send my heartfelt thanks to the many constituents who have sent their good wishes.”

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

Mr Mackinlay started his political career in the early 1990s, briefly leading the United Kingdom Independence Party (Ukip) before leaving to join the Conservative Party in 2005.

In 2019, Mr Mackinlay was acquitted of falsifying his election expenses for his 2015 campaign against then-Ukip leader Nigel Farage.