The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) is to explore the patient safety issues associated with the use of temporary care environments in England’s hospitals.
Temporary care environments, often dubbed ‘corridor care’ are defined by the Royal College of Physicians as “spaces that are not designed, staffed or equipped for care delivery such as waiting rooms, corridors, chairs on wards, ambulances outside emergency departments (EDs), and other areas of the hospital not designed for in-patient care.”
Corridor care has become all too common as providers struggle to cope with the challenges of increased demand and limited capacity. The Royal College of Nursing has been highlighting the severity of the problem for some time, and declared corridor care a “national emergency” in June 2024. Earlier this year it published a report on corridor care, drawing on testimony from over 5,000 nursing staff, that revealed harrowing accounts of unsafe treatment being delivered in inappropriate spaces on a daily basis. In March, RCN met MPs and described corridor care as “a system failure.” It reiterated calls for sufficient funding to end care in inappropriate settings.
Scope of the investigation
The investigation will seek to understand:
• How, where and when temporary care environments are used
• The needs of patients using temporary care environments, including those from vulnerable patient groups, and the associated patient safety issues
• The impact of temporary care environments on patients and staff and how organisations manage the associated patient safety issues.
Responses
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger says: “This is testament to the bravery of thousands of nursing staff who spoke out about a devastating collapse in care standards. No patient should languish in a corridor, a chair or be forced to endure intimate examinations in public areas. This investigation must shed more light on the scale and impact of these shocking conditions and mark the beginning of the end for this unacceptable practice.
“We will be encouraging nursing staff to take part in the investigation and share their experiences. But we are clear that ministers shouldn’t wait for this investigation to conclude before taking action to eradicate corridor care. That includes publishing national level data on how widespread the issue really is, which the government still fails to do.”
Rachel Power, Chief Executive of the Patients Association says: “Being treated in corridors, waiting rooms or other temporary spaces is distressing for patients and their loved ones, and increases the risk of avoidable harm. Patients deserve dignity and safe care, yet they are increasingly placed in environments never designed for treatment.
“We welcome today’s announcement from HSSIB of an investigation into the risks patients face in these settings. This investigation is an important step in shining a light on the impact of corridor care on patients and NHS staff, and in making sure it is not seen as an acceptable or inevitable part of the system. We look forward to contributing to the findings and urge that patients’ voices are placed at the heart of the recommendations.”
Get involved
HSSIB wants to hear from anyone with an interest in this issue, including health and care professionals, carers, families and patients who may wish to share their experiences. Please email: [email protected]
It will report directly to the government, with its findings are expected to be published in December 2025.
