Almost four in five doctors ‘forced to provide corridor care in past month’

Almost four in five NHS doctors have been forced to provide care in the likes of corridors, chairs and waiting rooms in the past month, according to a poll.

Medics told the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) the issue is impacting patient safety, privacy and dignity, with one describing corridor care as a “travesty”.

The snapshot survey of 961 medics across the UK found 78% had provided care in a temporary environment in the past month.

Of the 889 doctors who gave further details on where care was given, some 45% said corridors, while 27% said it was delivered in additional beds or chairs in patient bays.

Some 13% said they had given care in wards without a dedicated bed space, while 9% had cared for patients in waiting rooms.

A further 4.5% said they had used spaces “not designed for patient care” such as bathrooms.

Dr John Dean, clinical vice president at the RCP, said: “These findings confirm what doctors across the NHS already know – corridor care is becoming routine, and that is simply unacceptable.

“Treating patients in inappropriate spaces compromises their dignity, safety, and quality of care, while also placing enormous strain on staff.

“No doctor should have to resuscitate a patient in a blocked corridor or watch patients spend their final hours in undignified conditions.”

Nine in 10 doctors said delivering care in these locations compromised patient privacy and dignity, while three quarters struggled to access vital equipment or facilities.

Almost six in 10 (58%) said patient safety had been directly compromised.

One medic that responded to the poll said: “I have had more than one patient die directly as a result of not being in an appropriate clinical area — on a trolley in the corridor rather than in resus, as there was no room for them.”

Another described corridor care as a “travesty”.

The poll follows a damning report published by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in January, which said patients are dying in corridors and sometimes going undiscovered for hours while sick people are being left to soil themselves.

The experiences of more than 5,000 nursing staff across the UK were gathered for the 460-page document.

Last year, NHS England said it would start recording data on on the use of temporary escalation spaces across all NHS trusts from January 2025.

Dr Dean added: “NHS England’s decision to start recording data on this crisis is a step in the right direction, but it must be made public and acted upon urgently.

“We need systemic reforms to expand capacity, improve patient flow, protect patient safety, and ensure that corridor care is eliminated—not normalised.”

Patricia Marquis, executive director for England at the RCN, said: “This powerful survey adds to the experience of nursing staff working on the front line.

“They know only too well the devastating impact of treating patients in corridors, it is undignified, unsafe, and unacceptable.

“The tragedy is this is now a year-round problem and is a symptom of an NHS in crisis. As the Government prepares the 10-year plan for the NHS, it must commit to providing investment to show there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Dr Nick Murch, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “These findings, while shocking, are not unexpected as the issue of corridor care is one we, and many others, have raised consistently over recent years – not just months.

“The fundamental problems of insufficient workforce and capacity remain the root cause and need long-term investment alongside essential transformation changes outlined by medical bodies and royal colleges.

“The Secretary of State has said previously that he will never accept or tolerate care in corridors, yet the measures needed to change that direction; increased capacity, workforce and improvements in social care; have so far been avoided.

“This lack of action is condemning many more patients to care in corridors and the current trajectory already suggests it is going to be worse next year not better, meaning this temporary issue is becoming a worrying, new normal.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “It is shocking that corridor care has become a feature of our NHS. Despite the best efforts of staff, patients are receiving unacceptable standards of treatment.

“This Government has taken decisive action over the past six months to ease pressure on the NHS, including ending the resident doctor strikes so staff are on the frontline, not the picket line, for the first winter in three years, and we are providing funding to reduce avoidable admissions to hospital and delayed discharges.

“We will deliver reform and investment through our plan for change so the NHS is there for us when we need it, once again.”