Official figures released for the first time reveal that nearly 3,000 patients a day in England are receiving care in hospital corridors due to a lack of available beds in A&E units. This practice, described as a 'national scandal' by Dr Ian Higginson, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, involves treating patients in clinically inappropriate settings that are undignified and unsafe.
Scope of Corridor Care
The data, published by NHS England, shows an average of 2,241 instances each day in May where a patient received corridor care in a clinically inappropriate setting for more than 45 minutes within an A&E unit. Additionally, 699 patients per day were treated in other inappropriate settings such as cupboards, car parks, or toilets. The figures also highlight significant regional disparities, with only 20 NHS Trusts accounting for more than half of all corridor care cases in A&E departments.
Criteria for Inappropriate Care
The criteria used to determine whether a care setting is clinically inappropriate include whether patients have privacy, access to basic amenities like food and water, and whether noise levels are low enough for sleep and lighting can be dimmed.
Reactions from Medical Leaders
Dr Ian Higginson stated, 'Corridor care is utterly unacceptable. It’s an undignified and dangerous way to deal with patients. Attempts to better understand, and ultimately end, this awful and dangerous practice are welcome. We hope that the publication of this data will mean trusts and policymakers will begin to take stern action on curbing it.' However, he expressed concerns about the accuracy and scope of the data, noting that the definition of corridor care may be open to gaming and variable interpretation.
Concerns Over Data Accuracy
Higginson added, 'We remain doubtful about the current accuracy and scope of this data – as well as the potential for trusts gaming the system. Corridor care is a national scandal, and a problem that policymakers have acknowledged has become normalised. Yet, in some areas, the data seems low. Many of our members will likely feel that the data has not captured their day-to-day reality.'
Rising Waiting Lists
The data also revealed that the overall hospital waiting list has risen for the first time in six months to 7.22 million in May, up from 7.11 million in March. Furthermore, 99,781 people in England had been waiting for over a year to start routine treatment by early May, an increase compared to 94,406 at the end of March.
Government Response
Health Secretary James Murray commented, 'Corridor care is unacceptable, undignified and has no place in our NHS. That is why, for the first time, we are publishing this data to shine a spotlight on where the problems are greatest and ensure trusts get the support they need, with the vast majority of corridor care concentrated in a small number of organisations.' He added, 'Ending corridor care for good will take time and different areas will need different solutions, but we are determined to eradicate this practice.'
Professor Francesca Swords, national medical director for the NHS, also stated that corridor care is 'totally unacceptable' and has no place within the NHS.
