Ending corridor care
How and why to call it out
Corridor care is bad for patients and bad for health care staff.
Treating people in inappropriate spaces is unsafe, undignified and unacceptable.
We called for corridor care to be eradicated in our general election manifesto and we'll hold the UK government to account to make sure that happens.
You can help too. If you see it happening at your workplace, call it out. No ifs, no buts.
Nothing about corridor ‘care’ resembles caring
Just one patient being treated without privacy or dignity is one too many. But our members tell us that they're forced to examine and treat patients in public spaces, often with no access to life-saving equipment.
Patients are left feeling exposed, vulnerable and violated. Nursing staff are left feeling stressed, powerless and ready to leave the profession.
This goes beyond corridors. We're seeing patients receiving care in car parks and break rooms, and being triaged in storerooms. It goes beyond hospitals too. We're seeing cases in primary and social care, public health and even criminal justice settings. Every one of our half a million members should feel empowered to call it out when they see it.
Call it out to stamp it out
If you deliver corridor care
Report it as an incident
The NMC Code requires you to report concerns immediately through a Datix or other local incident form. If nursing staff consistently report corridor care, decision makers should take notice.
If you receive corridor care
Complain to your care provider
We can't allow corridor care to be overlooked and normalised. That's why we urge patients and the public to make a complaint if it happens to you. There are several ways to make a complaint.
Get informed
Use our resources to equip yourself with the knowledge and tools you need to challenge unsafe practices in your workplace:
- Our workforce standards set out what must happen to ensure safe and effective care
- Our levels of nursing show who should be making decisions about emergency care
- Our Raising Concerns Toolkit covers all the essentials to help you sound the alarm
privacy and dignity
Corridor care analysis: unsafe, undignified, unacceptable
Our new report based on member experiences shows the true scale and depth of the corridor care crisis – from its shocking impact on patients to its effect on workplaces.
We highlight a system in crisis and set out avenues for change.
Watch: "We all have a responsibility to call it out"
And she asks all nursing staff to call out unsafe, undignified and unacceptable practices every time they happen.
Together, we can eradicate corridor care.
Latest news on corridor care
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18 Sep 2024
Corridor care: NHS trusts in England to monitor effect on patient harm
Following our calls for corridor care to be a ‘never event’, new NHS England guidance says care outside of a normal cubical or ward environment should not be normalised.
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23 Aug 2024
Nurse-to-patient ratios and ending corridor care: our prescription for the NHS
We’ve contributed to an independent investigation into the performance of the NHS in England by highlighting what must be done to address the nursing workforce crisis – from implementing nurse-to-patient ratios, to eradicating corridor care and supporting mental health of nursing staff.
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17 Jul 2024
King’s Speech response: policy programme is step towards nursing reset and renewal
RCN welcomes positive moves including the commitment to repeal anti-trade union legislation, but measures to increase recruitment and retention in the nursing workforce and eradicate corridor care must follow soon.
Stay up to date
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Share your story
We want to hear from you so that we can always represent you fairly. Use our simple SenseMaker tool to share your experiences.
