UK deploys military to London hospitals due to staff shortage amid Omicron surge

British soldiers were deployed to hospitals in London to alleviate severe staff shortages caused by the COVID-19 omicron variant.

The Unitec Kingdom's Ministry of Defense said on Friday military medics would assist with patient care while other troops help fill gaps caused by other absences.

The deployment underscores the impact of the new omicron variant on Britain's health service. Nearly 180,000 people in the UK were infected on Thursday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday said hospitals were on "war footing" due to staff shortages, with many hospital groups declaring "critical incidents" because of the threat to essential services.

On Friday, the Royal College of Nursing's director for England, Patricia Marquis, said the deployment was "too little, too late."

"This is a clear admission that the NHS is not coping," she said.