NHS corridor care is unacceptable, nurses’ union says

Caring for patients in hospital corridors has become “normal”, despite being unsafe and unacceptable for patients, a report from the Royal College of Nursing has said.

At the annual conference starting on Monday, RCN chief Prof Nicola Ranger will say corridor care is a “national emergency for patient safety”.

The Conservatives say the NHS budget has been increased by a third since 2010 and more community diagnostic centers are being opened to ease pressure on A&E.

Labor says nurses are sounding the alarm over 14 years of Conservative neglect, while the Lib Dems say they have ambitious plans to fix the health crisis.

In the RCN report, the nursing union called for corridor care to be reported at any time so that the problem can be eradicated everywhere in the UK.

An annual online survey of 11,000 nursing staff – out of a total of more than 700,000 in England – found one in three had witnessed a patient being cared for in an inappropriate place during their most recent shift. This figure has increased over the past two years.

The nurses who responded said they were involved in caring for patients in chairs, rather than beds or trolleys, in waiting rooms, corridors and other locations not designed for patients.

The survey is part of the union’s campaign to improve nurses’ working conditions.

When nurses were asked about the impact on patients, two-thirds said their privacy and dignity were compromised, but more than half said they lacked access to toilet facilities and drinking water, as well as essential equipment, such as oxygen.

The waiting list for NHS treatment in England is currently 7.5 million.

The Conservatives say thousands of permanent hospital beds have been created to free up capacity and reduce waiting times.

Health minister Andrew Stephenson said waiting lists for surgery and treatment had seen their biggest six-month fall in 10 years outside of the pandemic.

“We have increased our budget by more than a third in real terms since 2010, while the 160 community diagnostic centers we have opened across the country deliver millions of scans, tests and other checks to people outside of hospital settings to provide care closer to home.” he added.

Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said only Labor had plans to deliver changes for the NHS.

“NHS nurses are sounding the alarm about the dire state of the NHS after 14 years of Conservative neglect,” he said.

“Patients and staff alike can see that the NHS is broken. Only Rishi Sunak and his party will not admit that the crisis in the NHS is a national emergency, and if they cannot diagnose the disease, how can they be trusted to treat it.

Lib Dem health spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said the Conservatives had run the health service “to the ground”.

“The Liberal Democrats have ambitious plans to repair crumbling hospital buildings and provide everyone with the high-quality social care they deserve.

NHS waiting lists in Scotland have also hit record highs, with the latest figures showing more than 690,000 are waiting for an appointment or treatment for non-essential care.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said health boards were taking action to improve patient flow and reduce delays.

It said Scotland’s 2024-25 budget allocated more than £19.5m to health and social care.

“Although the challenges and difficult decisions remain, this has given our NHS real terms in the face of a very difficult financial landscape.”

New measures have recently been introduced to help ensure appropriate staffing levels in all health and care settings, the Scottish government added.

A spokeswoman for NHS England said one of its key ambitions in emergency and emergency care was to improve the flow of patients in and out of hospital.

“The NHS is delivering an additional 5,000 core beds this winter, along with measures to help patients avoid A&E admissions in the first place, and tools such as the world-renowned virtual ward program and lounges are all helping to improve patient care,” the spokesperson said. said.

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