Luke Evans praises NHS for saving his dad’s hand after chainsaw accident

Luke Evans has praised NHS “lifesavers and superheroes” after his father nearly lost his hand in a chainsaw accident.

The Welsh actor posted an Instagram video telling his 2.6 million followers that his dad David had hurt himself while chopping wood in the garden with a circular saw.

Evans said: “It was very bad, he sliced his hand open. It was a terrible accident and he almost lost his fingers.”

His father was taken to Morriston Hospital in Swansea, where he was taken straight into microsurgery.

Evans praised the surgeon, who he said was called Thomas, as “one of the most incredible people I have ever met” – calling his work “incredible”.

He said it took five hours to reconstruct his dad’s fingers, finishing in the early hours of the morning.

He said despite his long day, the surgeon finished with “a smile on his face”, taking the time to explain to Evans and his mother what had happened to his dad.

Evans said he was blown away by the “detailed precision work that makes my mind spin as to how they even do these thing”.

Describing the UK as a “very lucky nation”, he added: “I just wanted to say how lucky I feel and how grateful I am to have a health service that allows my dad to be treated for all these things, and it hasn’t needed health insurance or anything, it is just there for us.”

Evans went on to say that the system isn’t without its faults, but hailed the people who keep it going as “lifesavers and superheroes” who “bring people through the worst moments of their lives”.

He said it was the “very kind people” – the nurses, carers, porters, surgeons, and anaesthetists – who keep the NHS going.

Thanking them, he said they selflessly “work through Christmasses, birthdays, weddings and funerals, and all the other things they sacrifice to do their job”.

Explaining that his dad has built “houses, fences, walls and fireplaces”, he said: “My dad would not have survived well without his hands and you’ve saved them.

“You keep on saving people and I’m very proud to have experienced that first-hand. You’re brilliant and I’m very grateful for you all.”

At the end of the video, Evans said that one positive of his father’s accident was that he had to watch him sing on Dancing On Ice from his hospital bed, making him a very “proud dad”, and joking that it was a “silver lining”.

(c) Sky News 2020: Luke Evans praises NHS for saving his dad’s hand after chainsaw accident