UK-Med, the British frontline medical charity, is warning that Gaza’s healthcare system is broken beyond repair and the current situation is untenable. The organisation has now treated over half a million patients, and says its clinicians are overwhelmed, civilians are starving, and the region’s last functioning hospital may soon be lost.
Ambulance transfers from areas near Rafah, close to recent aid distributions, have increased sharply. UK-Med warns that civilians are risking their lives just to access food.
“Civilians are starving. Collecting food should be a daily routine rather than one of the most dangerous activities you could wish to imagine,” said David Wightwick CMG, CEO of UK-Med.
“Earlier this week, an 8-year-old girl with a gunshot wound to the head was brought to our field hospital. Despite every effort, she couldn’t be saved.”
Ever increasing demand on UK-Med field hospital
At UK-Med’s tented field hospital in Al-Mawasi, patient numbers have surged by 20% in the past week. Alarming new data shows 70% of those treated have gunshot wounds – a sharp rise from 40% previously.
“Our clinicians are working in conditions unimaginable in any NHS hospital,” said Mr Wightwick, “We’re making impossible triage decisions in minutes”
“In the name of humanity, the conflict must stop. The laws of war must be upheld. They exist for a reason – to set a global standard that protects civilians and humanitarians alike.”
Medical infrastructure has been significantly degraded, supplies are critically low, and the conflict has left many facilities without consistent electricity or clean water. UK-Med clinicians are not only treating the wounded — they are doing so with limited supplies, intermittent power, and in an active war zone.
Southern Gaza’s last lifeline at risk: Nasser Hospital
The situation is deteriorating rapidly at Nasser Medical Complex, the last major hospital still functioning in southern Gaza, where UK-Med supports the emergency department. It is now operating at 200% bed capacity, with a further 20% surge in admissions pushing it to the brink.
Evacuation orders currently surround the hospital. If this facility is lost, an entire region will be left without intensive care. What this means in practice is patients requiring ventilation face an immediate threat to their lives. UK-Med’s field hospital can accept referral patients but has limited capacity and cannot bring in equipment to address the most severe cases.
A health system in ruins
UK-Med highlights a system-wide collapse:
- Inconsistent electricity and limited clean water in medical facilities
- Severe shortages of anaesthetics, antibiotics, and antiseptics
- No prosthetics for amputees, and minimal mental health support
In addition, the team is performing complex surgeries while simultaneously receiving influxes of new patients from mass casualty incidents.
Neutral, committed – and running out of time
Operating with strict neutrality, UK-Med works alongside Palestinian medics to provide trauma care, surgical support, and training. Its teams have served in conflict zones including Syria, Yemen, and Ukraine – but say Gaza is the most relentless and traumatic environment yet.
“We return because every life matters, even in the hardest places on Earth,” said Mandy Blackman, UK-Med nurse currently in Gaza leading our Al-Mawasi field hospital. “But we are at breaking point. We urgently need the world’s support.”
Appeal for Support
UK-Med relies on public donations to fund its emergency operations – from basic medical supplies to field hospitals and trauma teams. Without continued support, its life-saving work will cease, just as the need is greatest.
To donate or find out more, visit uk-med.org or contact media@uk-med.org
