Whittington Hospital in Archway posted bank shifts available for A&E nurses which said “corridor care” in the notes, according to a report in the Sunday Times.
Whittington Health NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, has said that it is currently experiencing “very significant pressure” in its urgent and emergency care department.
“In these circumstances we may have to provide care in corridors, as an absolute last resort,” a trust spokesperson said.
“In common with other hospitals, where this is necessary we bring in additional staff on a temporary basis to ensure that care can be delivered as safely and compassionately as possible to patients.”
It comes after NHS England figures showed more than a third of ambulance patients at Whittington Hospital waited more than 30 minutes to be handed to A&E teams last week.
Ian Higginson, a consultant in emergency medicine and the vice president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, shared a screenshot of a “corridor RN” bank shift on X.
Mr Higginson wrote: “Corridor nurses and care in corridors utterly normalised (this is an advert for a corridor nurse but sadly it’s nothing new).”
He warned that the pressure on hospitals will continue.
“Don’t be fooled as critical incidents stood down: they’ll be back,” he said.
“Almost every hospital is treating patients in corridors and car parks.”
Corridor nurses and care in corridors utterly normalised (this is an advert for a corridor nurse but sadly it’s nothing new). Don’t be fooled as critical incidents stood down: they’ll be back. Almost every hospital is treating patients in corridors and car parks. @RCollEM pic.twitter.com/VgEn6mpkVi
— Ian Higginson 🌈 (@RCEM_VP) January 11, 2025
Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said corridor care is “degrading, dehumanising and dangerous”.
“Let me be clear, it is not possible to provide truly safe patient care in environments such as corridors and cupboards,” he said.
“So-called ‘corridor care’ occurs when Emergency Departments are overcrowded. This crowding leads to extended A&E stays that we know contribute to avoidable deaths – a concept the Prime Minister has said should be ‘always chilling’.
“This weekend we have joined with the Royal College of Nursing – and other leading medical organisations and charities – in writing to the Health Secretary asking him to compel NHSE to routinely publish data about how often, and how many, patients are being treated in these inappropriate areas so the true scale of the issue, and the risk it poses, can be captured.
“We and our members cannot and will not accept as normal a situation which puts our patients at risk.”
An NHS England spokesperson said: “The NHS is facing unprecedented demand for services but we remain clear that caring for patients in temporary spaces is not acceptable and should never be considered as standard.
“A&E capacity and patient flow through hospitals have however both been severely impacted by record levels of demand this winter, such as the increase in flu admissions and the thousands of beds being taken up by patients ready for discharge.
“NHS staff continue to provide the safest possible care for patients, including an expansion of same day emergency care and more care in the community.”
Reporting by PA.
