Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Britain calls in military to help NHS Covid staffing crunch

Britain calls in military to help NHS Covid staffing crunch

BRITAIN'S Ministry of Defence on Friday (7) said that it had begun the deployment of the military to support hospitals experiencing staff shortages and extreme pressures due to record Covid-19 cases in the country.

The government said that 200 Armed Forces personnel had been made available to support the National Health Service (NHS) in London for the next three weeks.


Britain has seen a surge in coronavirus cases due to the Omicron variant, and has reported over 150,000 new cases each day over the last week.

NHS Nightingale Hubs A general view of the Royal Preston Hospital which be the location of a Nightingale Covid-19 Surge Hub on December 30, 2021 in Preston, United Kingdom. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Prime minister Boris Johnson has said that England can withstand the surge without new restrictions thanks to vaccination and the lower severity of the variant, but has warned of a challenging few weeks, as staffing is disrupted as people self-isolate.

The government has also deployed armed forces to assist with Covid-19 testing and vaccination programmes.

"Once again they are stepping up to assist NHS workers who are working round the clock across the capital, helping the health service through this difficult winter period where the need is greatest," health minister Sajid Javid said.

Britain has reported nearly 150,000 deaths from Covid-19, and, two years into a pandemic, its state-run health service was already facing a morale and staffing crisis even before the recent surge in Omicron, a lawmaker report published on Thursday (6) said.

The report said that the staffing crisis could derail efforts to catch-up with record waiting lists for elective treatment caused by Covid-19 disruption.

Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the Council of the British Medical Association, said that there were unprecedented levels of staff absence in the NHS.

"Although the government has resorted to the army helping out in London, let's not forget we actually have a national problem at the moment," Nagpaul told Sky News.

"This is a national problem and we've never known this level of staff absence before."

(Reuters)

More For You

Air India flight crash

Debris of Air India flight 171 is pictured after it crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad on June 13, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Air India crash: Black box found as India investigates London-bound flight disaster

INVESTIGATORS have recovered the black box from the site of Thursday’s Air India crash in Ahmedabad, where a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London’s Gatwick airport went down shortly after takeoff, killing at least 265 people, including those on the ground.

The aircraft issued a mayday call shortly before crashing into a residential area around lunchtime. The plane had barely lifted 100 metres from the ground before it came down, with its tailpiece left protruding from the second floor of a hostel for medical staff from a nearby hospital.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi recalls 'shoulder to shoulder' bond with Vijay Rupani

Narendra Modi meets family members of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who died after an Air India plane carrying him and 241 others crashed in Ahmedabad. (@narendramodi via PTI Photo)

Modi recalls 'shoulder to shoulder' bond with Vijay Rupani

INDIA's prime minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to his longtime colleague Vijay Rupani, the former Gujarat chief minister who died in Thursday's (12) devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad.

Speaking after meeting Rupani's family on Friday (13), Modi said it was "unimaginable" that his old friend was no longer with them.

Keep ReadingShow less
Iran-Israel-Getty

Smoke rises from a location allegedly targeted in Israel's wave of strikes on Tehran, Iran, on early morning of June 13, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Israel strikes Iran nuclear sites, top military officials killed

ISRAEL carried out a series of airstrikes on Iran on Friday, targeting nearly 100 locations, including nuclear sites and military command centres. The strikes killed senior officials, including the armed forces chief and top nuclear scientists, according to Iranian reports.

In response, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel would face a "bitter and painful" outcome. The Iranian military said there would be "no limits" to its response.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air-India-crash-site-Getty

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel inspect the site after Air India flight 171 crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad, on June 13, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Air India crash: Rescue teams search site where at least 265 died

RESCUE teams with sniffer dogs searched the crash site on Friday after an Air India flight heading to London crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad, killing at least 265 people on board and on the ground.

The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed on Thursday. One person survived the crash, which left the tail of the aircraft lodged in the second floor of a hostel housing medical staff from a nearby hospital.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jamie and Fiongal Meek

Known for their calming presence and warm guidance

Instagram/ wellnessfoundry

Air India crash: Spiritual guides Jamie and Fiongal among victims

Jamie Meek and his husband Fiongal Greenlaw‑Meek, both based in London, are believed to be among the victims of the Air India Express flight that crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.

The couple, well known within the UK’s spiritual and LGBTQ+ communities, had been travelling in India and had built a strong following through their work at The Wellness Foundry – a platform offering tarot readings, energy healing, and spiritual development. Their gentle presence and guidance had earned them deep respect from followers across the country.

Keep ReadingShow less