Half of the public, including a majority of Conservative and Reform UK voters, say it should take the government no longer than a year to address the issue of care occurring in non-medical areas, such as corridors and waiting rooms, according to new polling conducted by YouGov.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the House of Commons last month that he “will not promise that patients will not be treated in corridors next year."
The RCN is calling for urgent action to tackle the crisis, including mandatory reporting, greater investment in nursing staff and expanding capacity in community, social and primary care.
From a survey of British adults, conducted by YouGov on behalf of the RCN, around half (48%) of the respondents in England said that if the government did take action, it can eradicate care and treatment being delivered in non-medical areas within one year.
When asked, 90% of people in England said the need to prevent care from being delivered in non-medical areas is “urgent”. Nearly one in five (19%) in England said they had witnessed or received that type of care within the last six months.
Significant numbers of voters from the four main Westminster parties say the government could solve the crisis within a year: Conservative (58%); Reform UK (55%); Liberal Democrats (49%) and Labour (42%).
While 50% of people in England blamed the previous UK government for the problem, 48% said it was the current UK government’s responsibility to solve it. More than any other party, Labour voters said responsibility should lie most with the current government, at 55%.
On 16 January, the RCN published a shocking report into the corridor crisis in NHS hospitals. Based on the testimony of over 5,000 nurses, it revealed a devastating collapse in care standards with patients unable to access lifesaving equipment, without basic privacy, or even dying in corridors and going undiscovered for hours.
The RCN has called for the government and NHS leaders to introduce mandatory reporting of every instance of corridor care and to regularly publish this data. It is now urging the government to act at greater pace and scale to solve the causes of the crisis, including by making eradicating corridor care a key priority in the new 10 Year Plan due this spring. It comes after the publication of the Mandate to NHS England, which included no specific reference to eradicating corridor care.
Reacting to the figures, one frontline nurse from the East of England said:
“The government must act or it's only going to get worse. My hospital seems to be in a permanent crisis with not enough beds, resorting to using escalation areas all year round now. Beds in corridors, window bays, office spaces, busy walkways. No washing or toilet facilities, no nurse call buttons, no night lights. No dignified privacy of a curtain whilst they are feeling unwell.
“Caring for vulnerable, sick people in inappropriate places has become all too normalised and nurses in my department are leaving as they feel they can't give the level of care they want to.”
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, said:
“The public and nursing staff can see a tragedy for patients unfolding before their eyes. They know care standards are unacceptable and they want government to act decisively. The first step it can take to protect patients from corridor care is to introduce mandatory reporting of any time it takes place.
“But to properly solve this crisis, the government has to bring forward new and urgent investment into the nursing workforce, especially in the community and social care. That is the key to keeping patients healthy at home and easing pressures on hospitals.
"Exhausted, overstretched and demoralised nursing staff are working hard to keep patients safe, but they cannot do so without measures to fill the thousands of vacancies in the NHS and social care. This includes delivering a meaningful pay rise to recruit and retain staff.”
Chief Executive of the Patients Association, Rachel Power, said:
“These findings make it clear that patients and the public will not accept any further delays in tackling the corridor care crisis. No one should be treated in a space without basic dignity, privacy, or access to essential medical equipment, yet this is the daily reality for many.
“Behind each statistic is a person in distress, a family fearing for their loved one’s safety, and NHS staff struggling to deliver the quality of care they are trained to provide. We need urgent investment in community, primary care and hospital capacity, robust staffing plans, and full transparency through mandatory reporting. The longer we wait, the more lives will be put at risk. Patients deserve better, and they are right to demand real action.”
Ends
Notes to editors
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,267 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 26th - 27th January 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
A link to the survey results can be found here.
Patients dying in corridors as nurses prevented from delivering CPR, new report reveals
