Unsustainable pressures

This resource is designed to support RCN members to deliver safe and effective care, to raise concerns where patient or staff safety, or patient dignity, is compromised,  and to support members' health and wellbeing while working under these pressures.

Treating people in inappropriate spaces is unsafe, undignified and unacceptable. Corridor care must not be normalised. If it is happening at your workplace, we’ll support you to raise concerns. 

• Ending Corridor care
• Corridor care and safe staffing checklist 
• On the Frontline of the UK's Corridor Care Crisis - RCN report 
• Advice for lead nurses in an operational crisis 

We have developed some toolkits and template letters to help you to raise concerns with  your employer. We know that this can feel quite scary to do, but you can be reassured you are doing the right thing in raising your concerns, and the RCN will support you to take things further if needed. 

• Raising concerns toolkit
• Raising concerns and corridor care template letter for nurses
• Raising concerns guidance
• Respiratory risk assessment toolkit 
• Raising concerns about PPE 

• Staffing for Safe and Effective Care - We're calling for safe and effective care to be enshrined in law in each UK country.
• Find out more about what we're doing to campaign for safe staffing in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
• Staffing levels are poor in many places and patient care is being compromised as a result of unsustainable pressures. Read more about our campaign for safety critical nurse-to-patient ratios.
• See our guidance on your employer's responsibilities and what you can do if you have concerns about staffing levels.