Charity warns of UK health 'crisis'

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 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 aging 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 gurneys for hours or even days.