Corridor Care—the practice of treating patients in hallways, chairs, or other inappropriate settings—has become a daily reality for many frontline health care workers. Overcrowded facilities, insufficient resources, and high patient demand have forced nurses and other staff to deliver care in environments that compromise safety, dignity, and quality.
The RCN report, On the frontline of the UK’s corridor care crisis, raises a stark warning of the normalisation of this practice, using unfiltered accounts of nursing staff who speak of the dire threat to patient safety they witness every day.
One nurse in Wales recounted, “there is no privacy for patients, no access to essential equipment like oxygen or resuscitation tools, and no call bells to ensure patient safety.”
Nursing staff are experiencing feelings of intense guilt and helplessness. Another respondent adds: “It feels like you can’t give any of your patients the full care they need and deserve. It’s undignified, there’s no privacy, and sometimes patients are put there without even a handover.”
Helen Whyley, Executive Director RCN Wales, said: “Corridor Care is a symptom of a system under immense pressure. It’s time to invest in our NHS, support our health care staff, and prioritise the well-being of patients.”
The RCN is urging the Welsh Government and NHS leaders to take immediate action to end Corridor Care. RCN members in Wales and the public can email their member of the Senedd directly using our online tool here: Email Your MS.
If you witness or have no choice than to provide care in an inappropriate setting in your workplace, your voice can encourage change. The RCN’s Raising Concerns Toolkit provides step by step guidance on how to report incidents if you’re concerned about patient safety.
