A recent nurses’ report by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has uncovered a concerning situation within NHS hospitals, indicating that corridor care has deteriorated to the point where treatment on hospital wards is likened to “torture.” The report, based on input from 436 nurses, highlighted distressing incidents such as a patient being left in a chair for four days and another tragically passing away unnoticed after choking in a corridor.
With several hospitals in England declaring critical incidents due to overcrowding in emergency departments and a lack of available beds, the use of alternative spaces for patient care has become alarmingly common. The RCN emphasizes that corridor care has entrenched itself as a regular practice in NHS hospitals, with nursing staff recounting instances of providing care in substandard areas like freezing corridors, dining rooms, staff kitchens, offices, and departure lounges.
Nurses have resorted to using white sheets for patient privacy during intimate procedures, and overcrowding has led to distressing situations where patients are forced to endure uncomfortable conditions, such as eating next to someone who is unwell. RCN General Secretary Professor Nicola Ranger stressed the impossibility of delivering safe and dignified care in such inadequate settings, which have unfortunately become normalized.
Personal testimonies from nurses across different regions in England further shed light on the grim reality of corridor care. Instances where elderly patients spend prolonged periods in corridors on trolleys, leading to health complications like incontinence and respiratory infections, highlight the dire consequences of the current situation. The emotional toll on healthcare workers is evident, with many expressing feelings of powerlessness and distress over the lack of appropriate care environments for patients.
The RCN’s revisit to a subset of surveyed nurses revealed ongoing challenges, with reports of patients dying in makeshift wards like departure lounges and high levels of anxiety among healthcare staff due to the persistent issue of corridor care. Public sentiment reflected in recent YouGov polling indicates significant dissatisfaction with the current state of NHS care delivery in non-clinical spaces.
In response, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has pledged to eliminate corridor care by the end of the current parliamentary term, although public demand for quicker action is evident. The RCN is advocating for increased government investment in additional beds, nursing staff, community services, and social care to address the root causes of the problem.
While acknowledging the gravity of the situation, the Department of Health and Social Care has outlined immediate steps taken to improve urgent and emergency care services, expand vaccination programs, and enhance mental health crisis support. Collaborative efforts between NHS England and trusts aim to standardize care practices, enhance data collection, and reduce delays in patient discharge, alongside initiatives to bolster social care services.