and then seven days later i got a call from my cousin, her son, to say that she was in a very bad state and over the next couple of days itjust got a lot of worse and obviously the worst happened. you hear all the stories, stay at home and everything, but it really hits home when somebody so close, it's very sad. there has been lots of talk about protective equipment, whether there's enough of that getting to nhs workers but maybe not so much carers, is that something you had been concerned about? of course. they're probably one of the most vulnerable, as well, being in situations where they are going into peoples‘ homes. if they are not having adequate protective equipment, it's a massive concern. we've heard people in the front line

referred to as heroes, do you think that is something that is appropriate? she's put herself in difficult situations for the sake of helping others, you know, so isn't that the ultimate sacrifice one can make, the ultimate act of selflessness? in that respect i definitely would say that she is a hero but i would rather have her here. that was danjohnson, speaking to the nephew of caroljamabo. more now on the main story, the news that the prime minister boris johnson is tonight in intensive care at st thomas‘ hospital in london, suffering persistent effects of coronavirus. in a moment, we'll speak to our political editor laura kuenssberg, but first our health editor hugh pym. we can re—cap and remind viewers of what we know about the prime minister's condition tonight and what is likely in terms of treatment

in the next 24—48 hours. what is likely in terms of treatment in the next 24-48 hours. what we know from the statement, just after eight o'clock he went into intensive ca re eight o'clock he went into intensive care as a precaution should he need ventilation, so the suggestion is he did not need a mechanical ventilator which would have required sedation and a tube in his airway, so it is a precaution. they want to monitor the prime minister closely so that is the sentiment at the moment but what we don't know is where things will be overnight into tomorrow morning. they will be watching all sorts of different signals from how he is coping and all the monitoring going on, circulation and kidney function. as long as he doesn't run on —— go on to as long as he doesn't run on —— go ontoa as long as he doesn't run on —— go on to a mechanical ventilator, he may not stay long in intensive care, but however long he is in intensive care, could be 3—4 days and he will then need time to recover. but he is under the age of 60, 55, and this tends to get more serious the older

you are, over the age of 60. it is precautionary at the moment, being in intensive care at st thomas' hospital, but this is a serious situation for mrjohnson. hospital, but this is a serious situation for mrjohnson. thanks for joining us. moreover, earlierwe we re joining us. moreover, earlierwe were talking about the state of government and the stability, what has been said at westminster tonight, maura? said they will carry on delivering and trying to implement the plans that had been decided by boris johnson and his team and to make sure all of the efforts across the piece been put in as quickly as they can to help the country tackle coronavirus but in the last half an houran coronavirus but in the last half an hour an acknowledgement from around the world that this is a serious situation with the french president emmanuel macron and others are sending their best wishes and hopes for a rapid recovery, along with good wishes from the archbishop of canterbury sending them publicly to

borisjohnson canterbury sending them publicly to boris johnson and two canterbury sending them publicly to borisjohnson and two of the country tonight. it is a reminder of how quickly this has developed. barely a month since we sat down with the prime minister in downing street and he said he had to tell the country we may well face a significant challenge from a coronavirus and there could be a significant number of cases in this country. at that stage it seems something which was unfolding on the other side of the world and he could have had no idea that his own health might be in danger, with concerns among his own family, just as there are thousands of people around the country, sharing fears for their own relatives who may well be in a similar situation. a few weeks ago this all seemed rather a hypothetical worry for the uk but right now it is turned in to a very real crisis for the prime minister himself and for the whole country. just a few short weeks ago it seems to be another world, looking back.

thanks for those final words. that's it. you can see more you can see more on you can see more on the bbc news channel, more on the top story about the prime minister being in intensive care. now on bbc one, time for the news where you are. ill neck it is worth remembering that in the most severe cases, you end up buying the lungs. there'll be some patients in the uk and around the world who have support where you use artificial lung which sits next to the patient to support their blood. hang on, i'd like to say that we are nowjoined by viewers from bbc news as we continue our coverage. we are speaking to james gallagher, our health correspondent. we are talking about the procedures that boris johnson might we are talking about the procedures that borisjohnson might be having in intensive care, we are talking

about the fact that the report suggests he is conscious but nevertheless, he must be profoundly uncomfortable. exactly, you cannot underestimate how ill he must be if he needs intensive care treatment. you don't think people who just have a cough are in icu, that is not what happens. in terms of the treatment he might be having, we don't know the specifics, but this is the disease that attacks the lungs, so supporting the lungs will be one of the primary goals of doctors and nurses looking after the prime minister tonight. there are no proven drugs actually destroy the virus, the attack the virus that help the patient‘s recovery. there are many experimental ones but no proven ones. so the cornerstone of ca re proven ones. so the cornerstone of care for doctors and nurses will be around supporting borisjohnson‘s own body to allow his immune system to fight off the virus. that will be the capital. downing street said he's been treated at st. thomas

hospital, just a few metres from downing street. one report says that has one of the best intensive care units in the nation. especially for ones dealing with coronavirus. if you were to rewind a couple months when a few specialist centres were set up to treat the first patients of coronavirus in the whole of the uk, the hospital was one of them. in terms of the staff which have the most experience, that is where the prime minister is tonight. james gallagher, thank you so much. the queen has been contacted by number ten downing st to explain the worsening of boris johnson's condition. on 26 march, it was announced that the prime minister had tested positive for coronavirus. on sunday, he was admitted to max one “— on sunday, he was admitted to max one —— one after his symptoms persisted for ten days. this evening he was announced to have been moved

to intensive care after his symptoms worsened. speaking to chris mason in westminster, i just spoke to james gallagher, i'm now speaking to you. you can see how these two subjects now intertwine and almost become the same — the health of the prime minister and the health of the country. indeed so. on a personal level and political level, therefore a national level, as we were discussing this time last night shortly after the prime minister had been admitted to st. thomas as hospital, by definition, the occupier of that role personifies the country. the elected leader of the country. the elected leader of the country, test at the moment with leading the greatest fight the country has faced since the second world war —— task. yet stricken by the very thing he's trying to wrestle with on behalf of us all. throughout the day we were told that

the prime minister, despite being in hospital, was in good spirits and still receiving his ministerial red box with papers that he would sign, the things he would sign every day to keep the wheels of government turning. there were lots of questions that came to dominic raab at the daily news conference at 5pm today, along the lines of, was it possible for boris johnson today, along the lines of, was it possible for borisjohnson to continue being prime minister? was he well enough to dismiss the functions of prime minister? we were told then that he could carry on working, but i understand shortly after that news conference, around 6pm, he was given oxygen in order to help with his breathing. shortly after that he spoke to dominic raab and asked for the first secretary of state, the foreign secretary to deputize where never —— necessary for him, and around 7pm this evening, he was taken to intensive

care. i understand the decision to do that was based on the need to be close to a ventilator should it be necessary for him to require that to help with his breathing tonight. very interesting timeline, we will make sure we embed that into our coverage as we bring people up to date with what is happening hour by hour. again we will stick to politics with you. dominic raab came out and gave a statement, he spoke to our colleague laura kuenssberg, that might‘ve been the most significant 60 seconds of his public life. you could see it etched into his face, the gravity of the words that he was having to articulate, the message she was having to articulate, and the weight suddenly falling upon his shoulders. he is a matter of someone who just a few months ago was one of the contenders to be the conservative leader. he had aspirations to be prime minister himself, he was one of the leading voices in the brexiteer campaign of the last 5—6 years, and becomes

foreign secretary where boris johnson became prime minister. added to his portfolio, this title which in so many instances is rather honourific, first secretary of state. yet here the very reality of being first secretary of state landing upon his shoulders tonight as he takes on the burden of a good number of the prime minister's usual obligation. we got a statement from dominic raab saying he would deputize when necessary. does this mean he is the acting prime minister ina mean he is the acting prime minister in a national crisis, and that he now has the legal constitutional, and practical authority to make any decision he chooses on behalf of the government? that is the question tonight, i don't think there is a straightforward a nswer tonight, i don't think there is a straightforward answer tonight. i think it will depend on the specific condition of the prime minister at any given moment, and to put it blu ntly, any given moment, and to put it bluntly, whether the prime minister was able to react to anything that

requires prime ministerial consent in and of the moment. our understanding at the time of the statement at 8:10pm is that the prime minister is conscious. now being conscious doesn't necessarily mean you would be in a condition where you would be able to fully charge all of your functions, even the most pressing ones. it would appear in all likelihood that dominic raab, in terms of day—to—day decision—making, is now the first amongst equals amongst the cabinet who are able to continue fully discharging their functions. i who are able to continue fully discharging theirfunctions. i think ultimately it will depend on the exact state of health of the prime minister, and we know nothing more other than what was in the statement. dominic raab has been sharing beating so far. the official cabinet is not sitting, give us the type of structures that dominic raab will have to look into, and perhaps also some of the disputes that he might now have to arbitrate? so we knew that the cabinet was due to

meet today in a very spring 2020 way, which had been postponed. that means it could be rescheduled earlier in the week —— later in the week. in the downing street flat. the gravity of the burdens placed upon him are unparalleled within our lifetimes. every occupant of every department in whitehall being asked to consider things, and attempts to do things that they had never been professionally asked to do before. that is the reality across whitehall. so you look at the department for transport and the strains on the aviation industry at the moment, the department for work and pensions and the vast escalation in the applications for universal

credit. you look at the treasury and the unprecedented number of interventions to keep people in employment by paying the wages, up to 80% of the wages of many employees up to the median salary of the country. so there is a vast amount of pressure on the whitehall system at the moment. the structures of government in the uk, as opposed toa of government in the uk, as opposed to a presidential model, is that there are lots of tears and committee that occupy different elements of the whitehall machine, but ultimately they all come down to being channelled into downing street, so that the prime minister, looking over the whole business of government, can make decisions. clearly that is something in the short—term, it looks like dominic raab, certainly in terms of day—to—day decisions, will have to step up and fill in for where the prime minister normally be the person signing on the dotted line.

chris mason, i'm sure we will be back with you later. thank you so much for the moment. we'll speak now to david goc. thoughts, are your thoughts at this time please? my thoughts at this time please? my thoughts are with borisjohnson, carrie and his family. it is obvious he very worrying news tonight. all oui’ he very worrying news tonight. all our thoughts and hopes are with the prime minister, and i hope that we will have better news in the near future. obviously i very much wish him well in the personal battle that he faces. you know him well? i know him reasonably well. we were collea g u es him reasonably well. we were colleagues in the cabinet, i suppose we've been colleagues and political opponents to some extent. but he's someone even when you opponents to some extent. but he's someone even when you disagree with

him, he'sa someone even when you disagree with him, he's a very charming, likeable