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Corridor Care: NHS Nurses Warn of 'Torture' and Dying Patients
15 Jan
Summary
- Nurses describe corridor care as 'torture' leading to patient deaths.
- Hospitals repurpose dining rooms and kitchens for patient overflow.
- Health Secretary vows to end corridor care by 2029.
The UK's nursing union has issued a stark warning that "corridor care" is akin to torture, resulting in patient deaths and severe distress for NHS staff. A recent dossier compiled by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) reveals harrowing accounts, including an elderly patient who tragically choked to death unnoticed in a hospital corridor. The RCN's findings are based on feedback from 436 nurses collected in early January 2026.
The crisis has forced hospitals to utilize unconventional spaces like dining rooms and staff kitchens as temporary patient areas. Nurses have reported experiencing nightmares and lasting trauma from caring for patients in makeshift wards and overflow zones. The union has declared corridor care a "national emergency," emphasizing its spread beyond emergency departments to various wards.
In response, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has committed to ending corridor care in England by 2029. While the Department of Health and Social Care acknowledges the unacceptable situation and is investing £450 million in urgent care services, NHS staff groups express doubt about the feasibility of this deadline given the persistent overcrowding.
