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Nursing staff say corridor care is harming patients
A year after the RCN exposed the scale of corridor care across the UK, new findings show the practice remains widespread in Wales – and continues to compromise patient safety, dignity and staff wellbeing.
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Fresh UK‑wide polling of 2,150 adults by YouGov reveals that nearly two in ten people (18%) have witnessed NHS care being delivered in non‑clinical spaces such as corridors in the past six months. In Wales, that figure rises sharply to 28%.
When focusing only on those who accessed care in Wales, more than half (58%) said they had experienced or witnessed care delivered in a corridor or other inappropriate setting.
These results mirror what RCN Wales members have been reporting for years. In 2025, almost two thirds (61.8%) of members working in NHS Wales hospitals told us corridor care was a problem in their workplace. Members described unsafe environments, increased risks to patients, and the emotional toll of being unable to provide the standard of care they are trained to deliver.
One mental health nurse in Wales said corridor care is a “regular occurrence”, with staff having to increase monitoring because unsecured corridors contain objects and fittings that raise the risk of self-harm and suicide. Another frontline nurse warned: “Emergency departments are no longer able to function, and we are causing harm to patients. Corridor care must stop.”
RCN Wales Associate Director of Nursing (Employment Relations) Nicky Hughes said the latest polling shows the situation has not improved: “Corridor care is not an inevitable consequence of winter pressures or staff shortages – it’s a symptom of a system that has been allowed to drift into crisis.
“Nursing staff are doing everything they can, but they cannot deliver safe and dignified care in corridors, waiting rooms or storage spaces. Patients deserve better, and so do the professionals who care for them."
Over the past year, RCN Wales has continued to highlight the reality of corridor care and push for meaningful action. The College is again calling for a fully funded and credible plan to eliminate corridor care, including urgent investment in inpatient beds, the nursing workforce, community services and social care.
Nicky added: “We’ve set out the solutions, built alliances and ensured this issue cannot be ignored. Now we need the Welsh government and NHS Wales to act with urgency and transparency to end corridor care in Wales once and for all.”
We want to thank our members who have raised their voices on corridor care to show why this issue matters and why it demands urgent action. If corridor care is happening at your workplace, it’s important to raise your concerns. Find out more at the links below.
