British PM apologizes for delays, cancellations hitting NHS hospitals

LONDON, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Prime Minister Theresa May apologized Thursday for mounting problems in Britain's National Health Service (NHS).

It follows figures showing a sharp rise in the number of patients facing delays when they arrive by ambulances at accident and emergency hospital departments in England and thousands of operations being cancelled at overstretched hospitals.

After seeing the figures, May said: "I know it's difficult, I know it's frustrating, I know it's disappointing for people, and I apologize."

Labor's Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "These figures reveal the shocking scale of the crisis in our NHS this winter. Over 75,000 patients have been left languishing in the back of ambulances this winter, something the government should be deeply ashamed of."

In the last week of 2017, there were 16,900 patients waiting in ambulances for more than 30 minutes, a 40 percent increase on the previous week.

To add to the winter woes of the health service, NHS managers this week announced the cancellation of tens of thousands of non-urgent operations in an attempt to ease the pressure on hospitals.

Visiting Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, May said she hoped procedures could be rescheduled as soon as possible.

She said: "I recognize that it is difficult for people who are facing delays. I recognize that it is difficult if someone is delayed on their admission to hospital, or if somebody has an operation postponed. And we will hope to ensure that those operations can be reinstated as soon as possible."

Ashworth added in his statement: "We've seen thousands of beds cut from the NHS and the numbers of days lost to delayed discharge are up by 50 percent since 2010."

Jeremy Corbyn, the main opposition Labor leader, responded to May's apology saying: "It is not good enough for May to say NHS problems are 'frustrating' and 'disappointing' when the Conservative government has caused this crisis. Nurses, doctors and patients are pleading with her to properly fund our health service, but she is ignoring them." Enditem