UK health service under pressure despite pandemic promises By AFP - May 16,2021 - Last updated at May 16,2021 Stuart Tuckwood, UNISON member and nurse, poses for a photograph at a park in Liverpool, north west England, on May 4 (AFP photo) LONDON — In April last year, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked the doctors and nurses who saved his life after he spent days in hospital intensive care with COVID-19. In an emotional address on television, he promised all the necessary funds for the state-run National Health Service (NHS), which is Europe’s biggest employer. But 12 months on, frontline health workers said that promise rings hollow and they feel “betrayed”, as experts warn the system is imploding for lack of investment.