Corridor care is unacceptable, says Royal College of Nursing

A report from the union says that caring for patients in hospital corridors has become “normal”, despite being unsafe and unacceptable for patients.

In the report, the nursing union is calling for corridor care to be reported whenever it happens so that the problem can be eradicated everywhere in the UK.

Its annual online survey of 11,000 nursing staff found that one in three had witnessed patients being cared for in inappropriate places during their most recent shift.  This figure has risen over the past two years.

Nurses who responded said they had been involved in caring for patients on chairs, rather than beds or trolleys, in waiting rooms, corridors and other locations not designed for patients.

When asked about the impact on patients, two-thirds said their privacy and dignity were compromised while more than 50 per cent said it meant a lack of access to toilet facilities and drinking water, as well as vital equipment, such as oxygen.

A spokesperson from NHS England said one of its key ambitions in emergency and urgent care was to improve patient flow in and out of hospitals.

They said “The NHS delivered an extra 5,000 core beds this winter, alongside measures to help patients avoid an A&E admission in the first place, and tools like our world-leading virtual ward programme and discharge lounges all help to improve care for patients.

“We are working closely with colleagues in local authorities and community settings to send more patients home when they are medically fit to leave, freeing up beds for patients who need them most.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (jacquelinevance@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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