The National Health Service in Britain is seeking to start discharging thousands of patients from hospitals in the coming weeks in an attempt to free up much-needed beds during one of the toughest winters ever.

The publicly funded health sector also provides free care to all residents and was until recently a source of pride for many Britons. The health sector has faced pressures in recent months after years of relatively reduced investment, the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, and strikes by essential healthcare workers over pay.

Some patients are being treated in corridors, and ambulances are lined up outside hospitals to transport patients to emergency departments as doctors and nurses struggle to discharge patients amidst a shortage of staff and beds.

The government statement also included that it will provide up to £200 million ($242 million) in additional funding available in Britain to purchase short-term care placements to allow care for patients whom doctors deem medically non-urgent outside the hospital, and £50 million to improve existing facilities.

The statement did not mention whether the National Health Service in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland would also allocate more money to care beds.

It is worth noting that the goal of discharging some patients to other locations is a revival of a method used by the National Health Service in Britain during the pandemic when hospitals sought to provide as many beds as possible for COVID-19 patients.

Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, said in the statement that "The National Health Service is under huge pressure from COVID and flu, and in addition to addressing the backlog of operations caused by the pandemic, streptococcus A bacteria, and upcoming strikes, this winter presents a major challenge."

Barclay is expected to deliver a speech in Parliament on Monday to outline further measures to reduce the pressures facing the National Health Service.

Last week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that reducing hospital waiting lists is one of his five priorities for Britain this year. He said achieving this goal might take longer than some of the other targets.

Health service statistics revealed that more than nine out of every 10 hospital beds were occupied in the week preceding the new year, with patients medically fit for discharge occupying 13,000 beds daily.