Responding to the latest figures from NHS England showing there were 92,177 instances of corridor care in August, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger, said:
“These shocking figures demonstrate the extraordinary pace at which corridor care has become completely normalised in the NHS. This unsafe, undignified and unacceptable care should never have been tolerated in winter, let alone become so widespread during the summer months. The new administration must act where previous governments failed.
“This summer has brought unprecedented heatwaves which have supercharged the crisis, making vulnerable people, older people and those with pre-existing conditions more at risk. Without action from ministers now, this will continue to get worse as we head towards winter with no respite for nursing staff.
“The Health Secretary cannot hope to end this crisis without significant investment across the health and care system. We don’t just need more beds and nursing staff in hospitals but also more capacity in community services and social care to treat people closer to home and discharge patients who needn’t be in hospital. Anything else will fail to ease the intense pressure our hospitals are under.”
