Responding to the latest NHS England performance figures, Patricia Marquis, Executive Director of RCN England, said:
“The NHS appears to be hurtling towards another corridor care crisis this winter.
“Tens of thousands more people are heading to A&E, while the number of people waiting more than 12 hours is up by more than 20% on the same point last year. Without intervention, the government's next 100 days will be defined by patients crammed into fire escapes, store cupboards and corridors.
“Earlier this year, nursing staff declared a national emergency over the state of corridor care, with more than 1 in 3 reporting delivering care in an inappropriate setting. They – and their patients – must not be forced to endure this horror once again. It has fast become normalised in our health service and is a key reason why nursing staff feel the government isn’t doing enough to support the profession.
“NHS leaders have advised trusts to report instances of corridor care, but this should be mandatory, not optional, if the NHS is going to get a grip on this situation. No patient this winter deserves the indignity of these appalling conditions.
“The government's long-term reforms to the NHS are necessary, but patients and nursing staff also need action in the here and now. Ministers must intervene.”
Ends
The number of people waiting more than 12 hours in A&E departments in England from a decision to admit to actually being admitted stood at 38,880 in September, up from 28,494 in August.
