NHS reports nearly 3,000 daily corridor‑care patients
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- NHS published the first‑ever corridor care data, showing nearly 3,000 patients a day were treated in corridors or makeshift areas in England in May.
- NHS reported an average of 2,241 patients per day experienced corridor care in A&E and another 669 on or near wards.
- NHS found that 20 trusts accounted for more than half of A&E corridor care cases and more than two‑thirds of ward corridor care cases.
- Health Secretary James Murray pledged to eradicate corridor care by 2029, calling it unacceptable and undignified.
- Royal College of Nursing general secretary Nicola Ranger described the figures as “alarming” and highlighted unsafe, undignified practice.
- King's Fund analyst Siva Anandaciva said the data confirms the scale of a problem that should never have been normalized and noted that similar long‑wait data has done little to stop rises.
Why it matters: Patients and families lose dignity and safety when forced into corridors, while overworked nurses face moral injury; the data highlights that a small number of trusts bear most of the burden, prompting ministers to target resources and reforms to meet the 2029 eradication pledge.
