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Patients in the UK are facing severe harm as hospitals become so overwhelmed that people are dying in corridors while awaiting treatment, a scathing new report revealed on Thursday. The report paints a grim picture of the state of the National Health Service (NHS), with increasing concerns over a “collapse in care standards” amid the strain on hospitals.
According to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), nine in ten NHS nurses surveyed reported that “patient safety is being compromised.” The survey, which included responses from over 5,000 nursing staff across the UK, highlighted the daily struggles faced by healthcare workers in overcrowded and unsuitable environments. Nearly 70% of nurses stated they were delivering care in conditions such as corridors, converted cupboards, car parks, and even bereavement rooms.
The term “corridor care” has become an unfortunate norm, with nurses unable to access critical life-saving equipment due to the cramped conditions. One nurse from East England described corridor care in their hospital trust as “not an exception, it’s the rule.” This dire situation is reflected in the figures, with 54,000 patients in England waiting over 12 hours for a hospital bed last month—a 23% increase from December 2023.
The report paints a heart-wrenching picture of what is happening in hospitals across the UK, including testimonies from nurses caring for up to 40 patients in a corridor at once. In one instance, a nurse recalled a patient dying after a cardiac arrest in a hallway, with no access to essential equipment such as crash trolleys, defibrillators, or oxygen.
RCN General Secretary Nicola Ranger stated that the testimonies from frontline nursing staff are “devastating” and that patients are suffering every day. “Vulnerable people are being stripped of their dignity, and nursing staff are being denied access to vital lifesaving equipment,” she said. “We can now categorically say patients are dying in this situation.”
Hospital overcrowding has become a serious issue, with NHS figures released this week showing that last week was the busiest yet this winter. Approximately 96% of all hospital beds were full, according to Julian Redhead, NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care. He cautioned that, despite a decline in flu cases, winter viruses are still much higher than usual for this time of year.
The RCN’s report highlights how overcrowding in corridors is impeding vital care, with some nurses unable to administer life-saving resuscitation (CPR) due to lack of space. In some tragic cases, pregnant women have miscarried in hospital corridors.
The situation is exacerbated by record delays in emergency care, with 7.5 million people currently on the NHS waiting list, and more than three million of them having waited longer than 18 weeks for treatment. These record delays were virtually unheard of before the pandemic but are now the worst on record since 2011.
In response, Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer has put forward a plan to address the NHS crisis, which includes expanding community health centers to ease the pressure on hospitals. However, Health Secretary Wes Streeting admitted on Wednesday that while corridor care is “unsafe” and “undignified,” it would take time to reverse the damage to the NHS.
The stark reality depicted in the RCN’s report serves as a call to action for the government to address the dire state of the NHS, ensuring patients receive the care and dignity they deserve in a system that is rapidly reaching its breaking point.
