We’re calling on the Scottish government to urgently start routine collection of data on care taking place in inappropriate places – so-called ‘corridor care’ – and a single agreed definition.

We believe that without this, it will be difficult to identify effective solutions, demonstrate progress and hold services accountable.

Our members know that care delivered in corridors and other inappropriate places is unsafe for patients and those treating them. It increases risk of infection, robs patients of their dignity, and increases the likelihood of negative health outcomes. For nursing staff, delivering care in corridors can cause significant psychological strain, leading to stress and burnout – a leading contributory factor to nurses leaving the profession.

Our new report, published ahead of the ministerial statement on NHS winter planning in the Scottish parliament [8 October], takes a deep dive into available data sources to expose the scope and determine the key drivers of corridor care. We built a composite picture and identified six key drivers:

• Ageing population with increasing multimorbidities
• NHS waiting times and waiting lists for treatment
• Availability and capacity of NHS beds
• Nursing workforce crisis
• Availability and supply of social care nursing services
• Delayed discharges.

Based on our findings, we are calling for an agreed definition of corridor care, data collection and reporting on corridor care, and investment to increase capacity to address the widespread challenges in the health and social care system.

Colin Poolman, RCN Scotland Executive Director, said:

“Nursing staff know that what gets measured gets done, and not having a measurement and reporting mechanism in place risks inaction.

“While corridor care is the term commonly used, care delivered in corridors is not care and should never be regarded as such. It has long since stopped being just a winter problem in the NHS in Scotland. It is widespread, increasingly normalised and has far reaching impacts for patients, nursing staff and the health system.

“Hospital overcrowding and use of continuous flow models have pushed corridor care beyond emergency departments, reaching wards and departments right across hospitals. Corridor care poses a significant risk for both patients and nursing staff, and over time, has normalised unsafe practices.

“The lack of concrete progress on data collection, despite the Scottish government’s previous commitments, risks corridor care not being the political priority it needs to be. This risks corridor care going unchecked, putting patients at risk. It also significantly reduces accountability for tackling it.

“Without consistent measuring and reporting of data on corridor care, it is simply impossible to have an accurate picture of the true scale of the problem in Scotland or work out if measures taken are having any effect. I am urging all politicians and policymakers to read our report in full."