A former patient has praised the critical care teams at Walsall Manor Hospital who nursed him back to health.

Griffiths Tonks, aged 39, spent just under two months in the hospital’s High Dependency and Intensive Therapy Units from May last year.

When he spotted images of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust’s new Intensive Care Unit which opened last December he wanted to say thank you for the care he received.

Griffiths was admitted to hospital after being taken seriously ill at home.

“I had double pneumonia, swine flu and sepsis and when I look at the photos taken of me in intensive therapy and high dependency I can’t believe how ill I was,” he said.

“I can’t remember much about that time but when I did start to feel better I do remember two staff in particular – Izabela and Michelle – encouraging me to keep building up my strength and get better so I could go home. It’s thanks to the care that I’ve lived to celebrate another birthday and can spend time with my nieces and nephews.”

Izabela and Michelle are physiotherapists who work with patients across the trust.

Griffiths, who has a learning disability, has featured his recovery on his facebook page.

His mother Lynn Hanley, echoed her son’s praise for critical care.

She said: “It was really scary to see him in that state – he was in a coma as well. You think the worst but he’s back to his old self now.”