Carrie Johnson shares ‘horrible’ health battle after spending a week in hospital

The wife of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised NHS staff, saying she was “horribly, horribly ill” for three weeks – and still hasn’t fully recovered

Carrie Johnson says she was “horribly, horribly ill” as she shared photos of a week-long hospital stay with flu and pneumonia.

The wife of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised NHS staff after going to hospital struggling to breathe with a chest infection.

She urged Instagram followers to get the flu jab, saying “I very possibly wouldn’t have spent the last 3 weeks horribly, horribly ill had I got it.”

She added: “It could take another few weeks until I feel like myself again”.

In the post she praised NHS nurses and doctors as “the best people on earth” and added her “strong advice” was for people to get the flu jab.

Mrs Johnson posted a picture on Instagram showing the end of a hospital bed, with another image of her son Wilf’s “favourite dinosaur toy ‘Greenie”‘, and her daughter Romy’s princess key ring, which she said they gave her to take to hospital.

She said: “I didn’t expect to spend the first week of 2025 in hospital.

“After having a nasty chest infection for nearly 18 days at home over Christmas, it just got out of hand and I was struggling to breathe properly.

“Hospital confirmed I had flu and pneumonia.

“I was there nearly a week and I’m still not recovered. It could take another few weeks until I feel like myself again.

“The reason for this post tho is 1) NHS doctors and nurses are the best people on earth. I say it a lot but they have looked after me and my family when we’ve needed it most and I will never not be enormously grateful.

“They are the absolute best of us. I was at the John Radcliffe and I cannot thank them enough.

“When I was particularly low, one nurse even serenaded me by my bed. Unbelievable kindness.

“2) Obviously check with your doctor but my strong advice is to get the bloody flu jab. I really, really wish I had.

“It totally slipped my mind this year. No guarantee, but I very possibly wouldn’t have spent the last 3 weeks horribly, horribly ill had I got it.”

She ended with an explanation about the dinosaur and princess key ring and added “health and family are everything”.

As prime minister, Mr Johnson became seriously ill with Covid-19 in April 2020 and spent time in intensive care.

The couple’s son was born later the same month and was named Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson, partly in tribute to two doctors, Nick Hart and Nick Price, who helped save Mr Johnson’s life when he was in hospital.