'A thousand thanks to the NHS' - Sir Ranulph Fiennes recalls heart attack as NHS celebrates 75 years

• Sir Ranulph opens up about the moment he fell ill

Sir Ranulph Fiennes has opened up about how the NHS saved his life after he suffered a heart attack in Bristol.

The 79-year-old explorer from Exmoor, Somerset, praised all those who cared for him at Bristol Royal Infirmary.

He spoke to ITV News ahead of the 75th anniversary of the NHS today (5 July) and described the moment he fell ill on a flight to Scotland.

Sir Ranulph said: "It was about 14 years ago when my heart attack occurred and the surgery from the NHS.

"It happened that I was getting onto an aeroplane at Bristol Airport and the aeroplane hadn't taken off yet.

"I was going to give a lecture up in Scotland and suddenly, apparently, I collapsed in my seat and the stewardess told the pilot to stop."

The fire engine at Bristol Airport attended the plane, with two first responders on-board and they managed to resuscitate Sir Ranulph.

He was transported to Bristol Royal Infirmary where he spent three days on life support.

"The NHS surgeon, a wonderful guy called Gianni Angelini - a superb surgeon - took it upon himself and his team to decide that the only thing they could do to me would be to go ahead and do a double bypass.

"That definitely saved my life. I'm so grateful for them deciding to do that without permission from anybody because there was nobody to ask at that particular time."

"So a thousand thanks to the NHS."

Sir Ranulph did not shy away from mentioning the long waiting lists facing many NHS patients in need of treatment, but he remained optimistic.

He said: "The NHS is just wonderful and I've been for quite long periods of my life in other countries, which don't have an equivalent in any way.

"I can assure anybody who's doubtful about the NHS, and the delays nowadays, that it's just one of those facts of life.

"Everyone is striving hard to improve the quickness of reaction and really trying very, very hard indeed."