Responding to the announcement from the Department of Health and Social Care of funding for new emergency centres to tackle corridor care, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, said:

“It’s positive to see new detail and funding attached to corridor care plans in England. This wouldn’t have been possible without the brave testimony of nursing staff who lifted the lid on the national scandal of collapsing care standards.

“Action to support trusts where corridor care is particularly challenging is encouraging, but we know from our members that the problem is ongoing and widespread. That’s why we need a plan to ease pressures everywhere, not just in those struggling the most. Corridor care happening anywhere is unacceptable, undignified and a risk to patient safety. There must never be a repeat of the desperate scenes last winter.

“Alongside new emergency and urgent care capacity, properly eradicating corridor care requires ministers to look at the bigger picture. ‘Getting it right first time’ means delivering new investment to increase capacity in community NHS services, such as district nursing, and social care to keep people healthy at home and speed up discharge. That’s how you ease pressures on hospitals and turn things round.”

Ends

Notes to editors

Department of Health - NHS experts deployed to tackle corridor care