Corridor care | Royal College of Nursing

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.

How to raise your concerns

Image of patient's beds lined up in the corridor

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.

54% of members we surveyed said they considered leaving nursing after delivering corridor care

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.

How to raise your concerns

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.

How 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

67% of members said the most common impact is compromised patient
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.

Download the report

Image of exhausted nurse sitting in the corridor

Watch: "We all have a responsibility to call it out"

Our General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger explains why governments and health leaders must urgently address the growing crisis.

And she asks all nursing staff to call out unsafe, undignified and unacceptable practices every time they happen.

Together, we can eradicate corridor care.

Watch the interview

Latest news on corridor care

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.
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.
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.