Covid-19 coronavirus: Kiwi nurse had 'most surreal time in her life'

Jenny McGee. Photo / supplied

A nurse who Boris Johnson has credited for helping to save his life told her family that treating the British Prime Minister was the "most surreal time in her life".

Jenny McGee, from New Zealand, was thanked along with Luis Pitarma, from Portugal, for standing by Johnson's bedside for 12 hours at a time as his life hung in the balance.

The Prime Minister spent seven nights receiving treatment for Covid-19 at St Thomas' hospital in the UK, including a period in intensive care when he was given oxygen treatment.

In his first appearance since leaving hospital, Johnson said in a recorded statement that the NHS "saved my life" and singled out "two nurses who stood by my bedside for 48 hours when things could have gone either way".

It soon emerged the woman named only as "Jenny from Invercargill" was Jenny McGee, a nurse who has worked in London for around nine years and tended to Johnson at night.

Yesterday, her parents, who still live in Invercargill, spoke of their immense pride at seeing their daughter recognised for her work.

However, thanks to McGee's professionalism, her parents had only learnt of her involvement in the Prime Minister's care shortly before the rest of the world.

"I think over the years she has always told us that her job is one-on-one nursing with very critically ill people and that means she is there all the time for the 12 hours," her father, Mike, told Television New Zealand.

"Once we had heard Boris Johnson had gone into intensive care, it was obvious that at some stage Jenny would possibly run into him and give him the same level of care she would have given someone else or next week, we're really proud of her."

Her mother, Caroline, described McGee as "very professional" and said she was not the type of person to "spill things" - suggesting anecdotes from her time with the Prime Minister are unlikely to be forthcoming.

"It really wasn't until he was out of intensive care until she actually told us," she told the broadcaster.

"She said she had just had a most surreal time in her life, something she will never forget and that she had been taking care of Boris."

Mike McGee said the couple had been inundated with calls from friends across Invercargill asking "is that your Jenny?" as the news broke.

"Our comment is, 'you're on to it'," her father added.

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— John Wreford (@JohnWreford) April 13, 2020

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also spoke of her pride at the involvement of a Kiwi in the treatment of Johnson.

She claimed to have "used the informal tactic of finding her on Facebook and sending a Facebook message", but said she is yet to hear back.

The other nurse mentioned by Johnson - Luis from Portugal, near Porto - has been named as Luis Pitarma and has been thanked by Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

A statement on the presidential website said: "President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has already personally thanked the nurse Luis Pitarma, and... also thanks the commitment of all Portuguese health professionals who in Portugal and around the world are providing decisive help in the fight to the pandemic."

The statement added that the president offered "encouragement that is also addressed to professionals of other nationalities who, reinforcing the National Health Service, provide an invaluable service to Portugal".