British medics head to Ukraine border to set up field hospital for sick and wounded

Video report by ITV News journalist Mel Barham.

Several medics from Britain are travelling to Poland to set up a field hospital for people injured in the war in Ukraine as conflict continues to escalate.

UK Med, an aid charity based in Manchester, has assembled a group of around 50 medics, used to working in conflict zones, to try to get as close to the border as possible.

The charity's volunteers are well-prepared for being deploying to conflict zones as they have been doing it since the late 1980s.

The field hospital they plan to set up to help those fleeing the Russian invasion can be erected in just 72 hours.

Professor Tony Redmond, the founder and chair of UK Med, said: "It's desperately needed. The scale of the problem means facilities are very quickly overwhelmed.

"They need all the support so what think of as everyday care additional probs injuries from war and migrating over many miles."

For Tom Los, who works for the charity, the war in Ukraine is very personal as his father was born there and he has many family and friends still living in the country.

He said: "It's pretty terrifying had to send family members to Europe on their own waiting to see what happens. It's heart-breaking. It's homeland, basically, motherland."

The charity has small team in Poland already. Andy Clarke, who is travelling across the border to Ukraine on Wednesday, said: "We're anticipating that it won't be enough.

"Everybody is anticipating that the needs are going to be great and the needs are going to last a very long time."

UK Med hope to ship more essential supplies to help Ukrainian people fleeing war on Wednesday, 9 March.

But relying entirely on donations, they have launched a new appeal to raise half a million pounds to continue their vital work.