The National Health Service (NHS) in England is seeking to begin discharging thousands of patients from hospitals in the coming weeks, in an effort to provide much-needed beds during one of the most challenging winters on record. The publicly funded health service has provided free care to all residents and was until recently a source of pride for many Britons. However, the NHS is under pressure after years of relative investment decline, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and strikes by essential health workers over pay.
Some patients are currently being treated in hallways, and ambulances are queuing outside hospitals to transfer patients to emergency departments, while doctors and nurses struggle to discharge patients amid staff and bed shortages. The government stated that it will provide up to £200 million ($242 million) in additional funding available in England to purchase places for short-term care to allow patients, whom doctors deem to have non-severe medical conditions, to receive care outside of hospitals, along with £50 million to improve existing facilities.
The statement did not mention whether the public health systems in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland would also allocate more funds for care beds. The aim of discharging some patients to other facilities is a revival of a method used by the NHS during the pandemic when hospitals sought to free up as many beds as possible for COVID-19 patients. Health Secretary Steve Barclay announced in the statement that "the NHS is facing enormous pressures from COVID and influenza, and in addition to addressing the backlog of procedures caused by the pandemic, Strep A infections, and upcoming strikes, this winter presents a significant challenge." Barclay will address Parliament to outline further measures to alleviate the pressures facing the health service.
