NHS Confederation responds to new report into corridor care

Responding to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Emergency Care’s report into corridor care, Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, said:

“This report is yet more evidence of the increasing use of corridor care in an NHS struggling to manage rising demand from patients who are often older or more unwell. A decade ago caring for patients in corridors would have been unthinkable, but despite their hard work, health leaders and their teams are having to make very difficult decisions over the best way to keep patients safe in very busy hospitals.

“These long waits risk harming the health of patients, their families, and staff alike, and it is no wonder that patients report feeling forgotten and vulnerable. Progress is already being made improving access to alternatives such as GPs and walk-in centres to reduce demand on A&Es, but there is no easy fix. 

“One of the key challenges stems from the NHS being starved of capital for more than a decade, with some buildings no longer optimal for providing 21st century healthcare. That is why it is so vital the government continues to boost capital investment into the health service and allows NHS leaders to create partnerships with the private sector to build new facilities.”