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UK Hospitals Battle Year-Round Corridor Care Issues
8 Sep
Summary
- Corridor care is now a year-round issue due to rising emergency attendances.
- Elderly patients, over 65, account for 40% of admissions.
- Delayed discharges cost the NHS millions of bed days annually.
A concerning report reveals that corridor care, once a seasonal issue, is now a persistent, year-round challenge for University Hospitals Liverpool Group (UHLG). This situation stems from a national surge in emergency department attendances, increasing by 12% to 15%. The Royal site specifically struggles with insufficient ward beds to manage these increased demands.
This problem is not new, as a National Audit Office warning over a decade ago highlighted rising emergency admissions due to slow development of alternatives to hospital care. Current NHS data confirms the impact of an aging population, with individuals over 65 constituting about 40% of hospital admissions and 60% of bed days.
Furthermore, delayed discharges have escalated sharply. In 2015, 2.7 million bed days were lost, a figure that grew to over 6.75 million by last year. Charities point to delays in establishing care packages for patients ready to leave hospital, alongside funding disputes, as key contributors to this crisis.
