Godalming's MP, Jeremy Hunt, has praised the 'brilliant' Royal Surrey County Hospital staff who cared for him after he fell and broke an elbow while out running.

Mr Hunt described how he slipped on ice while out on an early-morning run.

"I was pretty shaken up by the fall. In the semi-daylight of a winter's morning, I smashed one of my elbow bones into three - with a loud crack that told me it was more than just a sprain," he said.

"After sitting on the side of the road feeling nauseous, I decided to drag myself the mile it took to get home, not wanting to trouble anyone in the houses nearby during pandemic restrictions. It probably turned out better to get myself going quickly and [his wife] Lucia was able to drive me from home straight to the Royal Surrey A & E.

He praised the dedication of the nurse who cared for him as he underwent several procedures, including an X-ray and CT scan, as well as the calm professionalism of the consultant who reset his broken bones under anaesthetic.

"Everyone who looked after me showed great kindness, and if they thought I was a chump for falling over managed to conceal it admirably," he said.

"When there are so many people suffering horrible illness and bereavement during the pandemic, what I went through was the tiniest of things. But it reminded me that the NHS is there for us even at the moments we expect it least - and that as an emergency patient you can access promptly some of the finest healthcare anywhere in the world.

"So, thank you to our brilliant NHS from just one of the million patients who use the NHS every 36 hours."