The Royal College Of Nursing Declares ‘National Emergency’ For Hospital Corridor Care

According to a report from the Royal College of Nursing (the RCN), caring for patients in hospital corridors has become “normal” despite this being unsafe and unacceptable for patients.

The RCN’s annual conference will start next week and boss, Professor Nicola Ranger will use her keynote speech to declare that corridor care is ‘a national emergency for patient safety’.

What does the RCN report say?

The findings of the RCN’s recent investigations have been published in a report: ‘Corridor Care: unsafe, undignified, unacceptable’, alongside the college’s general election manifesto, with both documents calling for corridor care to be eradicated from health and care settings.

The report reveals that 37% of nursing staff working in typical hospital settings delivered care in inappropriate settings, such as corridors, on their last shift.

This is an increase compared to the past two years.

The RCN’s annual online survey of almost 11,000 frontline nursing staff across the UK showed the extent to which corridor care has been normalised, with one in three nurses reporting having witnessed patients being cared for in inappropriate places.

Nurses who responded to the survey reported that they had been involved in caring for patients on chairs, rather than on beds or trolleys, in corridors, and waiting rooms.

Nurses were asked about the impact to patients of such care and 53% said it left patients without access to toilet facilities, drinking water, and life-saving equipment including oxygen and suction. 67% said the care they delivered in public compromised patient privacy and dignity.

Corridor care concerns

Nursing staff remain concerned that corridor care is now routine but should be an emergency measure.

It is suggested that corridor care has become “a symptom of a system in crisis” with patient demand in all settings, from primary to community and social care, impacting workforce supply.

The Royal College of Nursing is calling for mandatory national reporting of patients being cared for in corridors, and that these instances should be determined as ‘Never Events’ to help reveal the extent of hospital overcrowding, as part of plans to eradicate the practice of corridor care.

Within her keynote speech at the upcoming RCN conference, Professor Ranger will tell the nurses in attendance:

“This is a tragedy for our profession. Our once world-leading services are treating patients in car parks and store cupboards. The elderly are languishing on chairs for hours on end and patients are dying in corridors. The horror of this situation cannot be understated. It is a national emergency for patient safety and today we are raising the alarm.

This is about honesty and accountability. Care being delivered in front of a fire exit isn’t care. Signing do not resuscitate orders in a corridor isn’t care. Receiving a cancer diagnosis isn’t care. It’s a nightmare for all involved. We need to call it out as nursing staff, and health leaders and ministers need to take responsibility.”

What can be done to improve standards of care?

It is clear that there are multiple factors exacerbating the issues and leading to medical staff having no choice but to consider corridor care.

Staff shortages and NHS pressures are key factors. Statistics show that the waiting list for NHS treatments in England is currently 7.5 million.

In addition, poor population health and a lack of investment in prevention is exacerbating the problem.

Shadow Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, said:

“NHS nurses are sounding the alarm on the appalling state of the NHS after 14 years of Conservative neglect. Patients and staff alike can see that the NHS is broken…”

A spokesperson for NHS England said one of its key ambitions in urgent and emergency 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.”

Comment

What is clear from the RCN’s report and the keynote speech of their boss, Professor Ranger, is that corridor care is not care at all and it only results in high levels of risk to patient safety.

Where patient safety is not a priority, avoidable harm and injury is almost inevitable.

This is unacceptable.

It is a positive step to see that the RCN is taking such a robust stand and raising the alarm in no uncertain terms.

It is now for ministers to hear what the RCN have to say and take action urgently.

How can Nelsons help?Royal College Nursing Report

Marcus Williams is a Paralegal in our Medical Negligence team, which is ranked in Tier One by the independently researched publication, The Legal 500.

For advice on the subjects discussed in this article, please get in touch with Marcus or another member of the team in Derby, Leicester, or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online enquiry form.

Contact us
Contact us today

We're here to help.

Call us on 0800 024 1976

Main Contact Form

Used on contact page

  • Email us