WORLD NEWS | Sat Jan 7, 2017 | 2:58pm EST
Britain's health service in a 'humanitarian crisis': Red Cross
By Kate Holton | LONDON
Britain's health service is engulfed in a "humanitarian crisis" that requires the support of the Red Cross to use Land Rovers to transport patients, the charity said on Saturday.
Founded in 1948, the National Health Service (NHS) is a source of huge pride for many Britons who are able to access free care from the cradle to the grave.
But tight budgets, an ageing population and increasingly complex medical needs have left many hospitals struggling during the winter season in recent years, prompting headlines about patients being left to wait on trolleys for hours or even days.
The NHS rejected the Red Cross' description and the Department of Health said it had injected an additional 400 million pounds ($490 million) to help with the demand, but the opposition Labour Party called on Prime Minister Theresa May to do more to tackle the overcrowding.
"This is a national scandal," Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement.
"We should not have to rely on the Red Cross to provide the basic care the people of this country need. I am demanding that the prime minister comes to the House of Commons on Monday and sets out to the British people how she plans to fix her failure on the NHS."
May's office declined to comment.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-redcross-health-idUSKBN14R089?il=0
