Amid an alarming surge of flu and COVID-19 cases, some of the major hospitals in Eastern England have introduced visitor restrictions citing risks to vulnerable patients. Some trusts have also started requiring patients to wear a mask in clinical areas. Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge and Rosie Maternity Hospital are among the trusts that have brought curbs to check the spread of disease.
<h2>Hospital staff under pressure</h2>
UK broadcaster BBC quoted a spokeswoman for Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as saying that its staff was under an &ldquo;increased pressure&rdquo;. "We are under increased pressure because of high levels of flu, winter vomiting bugs, Covid and respiratory illness, &rdquo; she said.
"We apologise to any patients waiting longer than usual &ndash; hospital staff are following a number of well-rehearsed protocols to manage the pressures and keep patients safe," the spokeswoman added.
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On its website, the trust wrote that its emergency department was &ldquo;very busy&rdquo;. "Please think carefully about where to go for treatment," the warning read.
<h2>England facing massive health crisis</h2>
England is facing a massive surge in flu cases, with the National Health Service reporting an average of 4,469 cases each day last week. More than 200 patients are understood to be in critical condition.
According to the NHS, some hospitals have taken additional measures to tackle the rising cases of flu and other winter viruses, including putting extra beds in place. The chief executive of the NHS Confederation, Matthew Taylor, earlier asserted the NHS had done "all it could" in advance to reduce risk to patients, but the service remained in a position of "national vulnerability".
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-hmpv-scare-beijing-confirms-infection-surge-calls-it-annual-winter-occurrence-8589673">China HMPV scare: Beijing confirms infection surge, calls it 'annual winter occurrence'</a>
NHS figures from the last week showed more than 12,000 patients had waiting time for ambulances of over an hour. The head of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Dr Adrian Boyle, was quoted by BBC as saying that their ambulances were &ldquo;stuck outside emergency departments,&rdquo; and their emergency departments were &ldquo;full".
He also added that the hospitals were facing a &ldquo;chronic lack of beds&rdquo;.
(With inputs from agencies)

World | England is facing a massive surge in flu cases, with the National Health Service reporting an average of 4,469 cases each day last week.

Amid an alarming surge of flu and COVID-19 cases, some of the major hospitals in Eastern England have introduced visitor restrictions citing risks to vulnerable patients. Some trusts have also started requiring patients to wear a mask in clinical areas. Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge and Rosie Maternity Hospital are among the trusts that have brought curbs to check the spread of disease. Hospital staff under pressure UK broadcaster BBC quoted a spokeswoman for Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as saying that its staff was under an “increased pressure”. "We are under increased pressure because of high levels of flu, winter vomiting bugs, Covid and respiratory illness, ” she said. "We apologise to any patients waiting longer than usual – hospital staff are following a number of well-rehearsed protocols to manage the pressures and keep patients safe," the spokeswoman added. Also read: 'Nothing to be alarmed about,' says India's health body on reports of HMPV outbreak in China On its website, the trust wrote that its emergency department was “very busy”. "Please think carefully about where to go for treatment," the warning read. England facing massive health crisis England is facing a massive surge in flu cases, with the National Health Service reporting an average of 4,469 cases each day last week. More than 200 patients are understood to be in critical condition. According to the NHS, some hospitals have taken additional measures to tackle the rising cases of flu and other winter viruses, including putting extra beds in place. The chief executive of the NHS Confederation, Matthew Taylor, earlier asserted the NHS had done "all it could" in advance to reduce risk to patients, but the service remained in a position of "national vulnerability". Also read: China HMPV scare: Beijing confirms infection surge, calls it 'annual winter occurrence' NHS figures from the last week showed more than 12,000 patients had waiting time for ambulances of over an hour. The head of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Dr Adrian Boyle, was quoted by BBC as saying that their ambulances were “stuck outside emergency departments,” and their emergency departments were “full". He also added that the hospitals were facing a “chronic lack of beds”. (With inputs from agencies)

England flu surge: Hospitals impose visitor restrictions amid shortage of beds, ambulances

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chaired an emergency meeting with ministers, medics and healthcare professionals to address the healthcare crisis plaguing the country.

The meeting took place at 10 Downing Street on Saturday, aimed at “bringing together the best minds from the health and care sectors to help share knowledge and practical solutions,” the government said.

“As the Prime Minister made clear this week, easing the immediate pressures whilst also focusing on the long-term improvement of the NHS is one of his key promises,” the spokesperson said, according to Guardian.

&nbsp;“We want to correct the unwarranted variation in NHS performance between local areas, because no matter where you live you should be able to access quality healthcare.”

<h2>What is ailing UK?</h2>

The British health system, which is widely regarded as one of the best healthcare services, has been facing a myriad of pressures, including rising demand for care after pandemic restrictions were eased; a surge in flu and other viruses after two lockdown years; staff shortages from pandemic burnout and a post-Brexit drought of European workers in the UK.

At the moment, thousands of hospital beds are occupied by people who are fit to be discharged but have nowhere to go because of a lack of places for long-term care.

Officials estimate that last week only a third of patients ready to be released from a hospital in England actually left.

<h2>UK: Rishi Sunak's U-turn on outlawing strikes, steps back on anti-strike law</h2>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uk-rishi-sunaks-u-turn-on-outlawing-strikes-steps-back-on-anti-strike-law-550027/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Apart from that, nurses and ambulance staff have been conducting protests over salaries and working conditions, forcing people with health emergencies to wait hours for ambulances to arrive.

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Health officials believe that the delays have likely led to hundreds of deaths.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-weibo-bans-1000-accounts-critical-of-govts-covid-policy-550296">China’s Weibo bans more than 1,000 accounts critical of govt’s Covid policy</a>

Pat Cullen, the Royal College of Nursing general secretary, urged Sunak to “grasp the nettle and negotiate with nurses” about the settlement in order to avoid the strikes, reports Guardian.

(With inputs from agencies)

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UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chaired an emergency meeting with ministers, medics and healthcare professionals to address the healthcare crisis plaguing the country.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chaired an emergency meeting with ministers, medics and healthcare professionals to address the healthcare crisis plaguing the country. The meeting took place at 10 Downing Street on Saturday, aimed at “bringing together the best minds from the health and care sectors to help share knowledge and practical solutions,” the government said. “As the Prime Minister made clear this week, easing the immediate pressures whilst also focusing on the long-term improvement of the NHS is one of his key promises,” the spokesperson said, according to Guardian. “We want to correct the unwarranted variation in NHS performance between local areas, because no matter where you live you should be able to access quality healthcare.” What is ailing UK? The British health system, which is widely regarded as one of the best healthcare services, has been facing a myriad of pressures, including rising demand for care after pandemic restrictions were eased; a surge in flu and other viruses after two lockdown years; staff shortages from pandemic burnout and a post-Brexit drought of European workers in the UK. At the moment, thousands of hospital beds are occupied by people who are fit to be discharged but have nowhere to go because of a lack of places for long-term care. Officials estimate that last week only a third of patients ready to be released from a hospital in England actually left. UK: Rishi Sunak's U-turn on outlawing strikes, steps back on anti-strike law Apart from that, nurses and ambulance staff have been conducting protests over salaries and working conditions, forcing people with health emergencies to wait hours for ambulances to arrive. Also read | Chinese billionaire Jack Ma to cede control of Ant Group after regulatory crackdown: Report Health officials believe that the delays have likely led to hundreds of deaths. Also read | China’s Weibo bans more than 1,000 accounts critical of govt’s Covid policy Pat Cullen, the Royal College of Nursing general secretary, urged Sunak to “grasp the nettle and negotiate with nurses” about the settlement in order to avoid the strikes, reports Guardian. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

UK PM Rishi Sunak convenes emergency meeting amidst healthcare crisis

Britain reacted angrily on Monday to a tweet from US President Donald Trump attacking its public healthcare system in the latest spat to strain US-UK ties, casting further doubt on his possible visit to London.

&quot;The Democrats are pushing for Universal HealthCare while thousands of people are marching in the UK because their U system is going broke and not working,&quot; Trump wrote in an early morning tweet.

&quot;Dems want to greatly raise taxes for really bad and non-personal medical care. No thanks!&quot;

The tweet came after thousands of people marched through central London on Saturday in support of the state-funded National Health Service (NHS), which is straining under the weight of winter demand.

One possible explanation for Trump&#39;s criticism was an appearance by Brexit champion Nigel Farage, a personal friend of the president, on Fox News earlier Monday where he talked about the NHS.

British Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt issued a sharp rebuke, tweeting: &quot;I may disagree with claims made on that march but not ONE of them wants to live in a system where 28m people have no cover.

&quot;NHS may have challenges but I&#39;m proud to be from the country that invented universal coverage -- where all get care no matter the size of their bank balance,&quot; he wrote.

NHS staffing levels have been in crisis for months, an issue made worse by a winter flu outbreak.

Despite its current woes, the NHS, which was created after World War II, is a revered institution and Trump&#39;s comments prompted widespread resentment.

&quot;Wrong. People were marching because we love our NHS and hate what the Tories are doing to it,&quot; tweeted Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, in a reference to the ruling conservatives.&nbsp;

&quot;Healthcare is a human right,&quot; he added.

&nbsp;&#39;Divisive, incorrect rhetoric&#39;&nbsp;

The People&#39;s Assembly, an anti-austerity campaign group that organised the demonstration, also wrote an open letter to Trump defending the NHS.

&quot;It has been a shining example to the world of what can be achieved when we put the needs of the collective good over the interests of a few wealthy individuals,&quot; the letter read.

&quot;Unfortunately our current government have been persuaded to increasingly adopt policies which represent those of your government,&quot; it said.

&quot;We don&#39;t agree with your divisive and incorrect rhetoric. No thanks,&quot; the letter said.

Trump&#39;s own attempts to reverse his predecessor&#39;s healthcare reform -- known as Obamacare -- twice ended in failure, before his party succeeded in eliminating a key element, the so-called &quot;individual mandate&quot; as part of tax reform.

The measure required individuals to buy health insurance as a way to lower costs by ensuring that healthy people were part of insurance pools.

The &quot;special relationship&quot; between Britain and the United States has shown some signs of strain since Trump came to office a year ago.

Prime Minister Theresa May was the first foreign leader to visit Trump following his inauguration in January last year, when she invited him to make a state visit to Britain, hosted by Queen Elizabeth II.

The trip has been delayed, however, and Trump recently pulled out of a plan to open the new US embassy in London, a move British officials blamed on threats of mass protests.

Trump has also angered the British with previous controversial tweets, including retweeting an extremist group&#39;s anti-Muslim propaganda and sparring with London mayor Sadiq Khan following a terror attack.

'The Democrats are pushing for Universal HealthCare while thousands of people are marching in the UK because their U system is going broke and not working,' Trump wrote in an early morning tweet

Britain reacted angrily on Monday to a tweet from US President Donald Trump attacking its public healthcare system in the latest spat to strain US-UK ties, casting further doubt on his possible visit to London. "The Democrats are pushing for Universal HealthCare while thousands of people are marching in the UK because their U system is going broke and not working," Trump wrote in an early morning tweet. "Dems want to greatly raise taxes for really bad and non-personal medical care. No thanks!" The tweet came after thousands of people marched through central London on Saturday in support of the state-funded National Health Service (NHS), which is straining under the weight of winter demand. One possible explanation for Trump's criticism was an appearance by Brexit champion Nigel Farage, a personal friend of the president, on Fox News earlier Monday where he talked about the NHS. British Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt issued a sharp rebuke, tweeting: "I may disagree with claims made on that march but not ONE of them wants to live in a system where 28m people have no cover. "NHS may have challenges but I'm proud to be from the country that invented universal coverage -- where all get care no matter the size of their bank balance," he wrote. NHS staffing levels have been in crisis for months, an issue made worse by a winter flu outbreak. Despite its current woes, the NHS, which was created after World War II, is a revered institution and Trump's comments prompted widespread resentment. "Wrong. People were marching because we love our NHS and hate what the Tories are doing to it," tweeted Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, in a reference to the ruling conservatives. "Healthcare is a human right," he added. 'Divisive, incorrect rhetoric' The People's Assembly, an anti-austerity campaign group that organised the demonstration, also wrote an open letter to Trump defending the NHS. "It has been a shining example to the world of what can be achieved when we put the needs of the collective good over the interests of a few wealthy individuals," the letter read. "Unfortunately our current government have been persuaded to increasingly adopt policies which represent those of your government," it said. "We don't agree with your divisive and incorrect rhetoric. No thanks," the letter said. Trump's own attempts to reverse his predecessor's healthcare reform -- known as Obamacare -- twice ended in failure, before his party succeeded in eliminating a key element, the so-called "individual mandate" as part of tax reform. The measure required individuals to buy health insurance as a way to lower costs by ensuring that healthy people were part of insurance pools. The "special relationship" between Britain and the United States has shown some signs of strain since Trump came to office a year ago. Prime Minister Theresa May was the first foreign leader to visit Trump following his inauguration in January last year, when she invited him to make a state visit to Britain, hosted by Queen Elizabeth II. The trip has been delayed, however, and Trump recently pulled out of a plan to open the new US embassy in London, a move British officials blamed on threats of mass protests. Trump has also angered the British with previous controversial tweets, including retweeting an extremist group's anti-Muslim propaganda and sparring with London mayor Sadiq Khan following a terror attack.

Britain hits back at Trump over attack on healthcare system

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England flu surge: Hospitals impose visitor restrictions amid shortage of beds, ambulances

UK PM Rishi Sunak convenes emergency meeting amidst healthcare crisis

Britain hits back at Trump over attack on healthcare system