Trusts determined to prevent 'corridor care' becoming 'business as usual'

The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) has called for a better understanding of the use of temporary care environments to minimise risks to patients.

Daniel Elkeles, chief executive, NHS Providers, said:

"Nobody in the NHS wants to see 'corridor care' become 'normal business'. As the HSSIB says, if managed properly then so-called corridor care is the least worst option for dealing with the huge pressure hospitals are under. Yet it still means a poorer experience for patients as well as staff. 

"We must end the need to use corridors or other temporary spaces. More beds may be the obvious answer but before saying this is the only solution we must make reality the desired shift to looking after more people in the community - at or close to home - and prevent as many hospital admissions as possible.  

"We must be sure too that we manage as efficiently as we can the flow of patents inside our hospitals and between other parts of the NHS, as well as solving the problem of thousands of hospital beds taken up by people well enough to be discharged but who can’t be - which means addressing social care capacity too.  

"To make significant progress on all of this before next winter should be a huge priority and one that everyone in the NHS would want to be part of making happen."