As the flu outbreak in Britain continues to stretch the National Health Service, the Health Secretary, Alan Milburn, has ordered an inquiry into the case of a woman whose cancer operation was cancelled four times because of the crisis.

The woman, Mavis Skeet, has now been told her cancer is inoperable.

The hospital at Leeds, in northern England where she's being treated has apologised.

The opposition Conservative Party says the National Health Service has been brought to its knees by the flu outbreak and the resulting shortage of intensive care beds.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service