Providing care to hospital patients in corridors and other non-clinical areas is becoming normalised, with almost 90 per cent of nurses surveyed saying the term ‘corridor nursing’ is now being used at their Trust. Nine out of 10 also say the safety of patients is being compromised by the practice.
A new Royal College of Nursing (RCN) survey of nurses working in A&E departments in England reveals the difficulties of providing care to patients in such cramped and unsuitable locations.
The RCN is running a campaign on safe nurse staffing across the UK calling for investment in the nursing workforce by Government and NHS leaders. In England, the College is also calling on the Government to restore payments for tuition fees for student nurses, and for maintenance grants to be sufficient to cover students’ actual living costs.
The survey of England members of the College’s Emergency Care Association, which represents nursing staff working in A&E, provides a snapshot of the extent to which ‘corridor care’ is being used, and its impact on patients and staff.
NHS nursing care increasingly needs to be delivered in this way both to patients waiting to be seen at A&E, and to those who have been judged sick enough to admit to hospital, but for whom a bed cannot be found. The main findings of the survey were:
- 73 per cent of nurses responding say they provide care to patients in a non-designated area such as a corridor on a daily basis; a further 16 per cent do the same at least once a week
- 90 per cent of those surveyed say the frequency of providing care in non-designated areas has increased since last winter
- 49 cent of respondents say the term ‘corridor nursing’ is formally used in their workplace, while an additional 40 per cent say it is used informally
- 90 per cent say patient safety is being compromised by the practice.
Commenting on the survey findings, Mike Adams, RCN Director for England, said:
“This survey shows that having to deliver care in crowded corridors is becoming increasingly the norm for NHS nursing staff.
“Highly complex procedures such as insertion of intravenous lines and medication should not have to be carried out in conditions like these, while it is completely unacceptable that patients’ privacy and dignity are being undermined by lack of access to toilet facilities while they’re stuck in corridors.
“The reasons for the increased pressure on A&E departments are many and well-known – too few staff, not enough beds to admit patients to, and a lack of social care affecting hospitals’ ability to discharge patients quickly enough.
“But as a result, nurses in emergency departments are being put under intolerable pressure to keep patients safe. Nursing staff are trained to act as advocates for their patients, and Ministers and NHS leaders must listen to what nurses have told us – patient safety is being compromised too often at present”.
David Smith, Chair of the College’s Emergency Care Association and an experienced A&E nurse in London, said:
“Emergency Departments are the front door to hospitals. As specialist emergency nurses, we are in a privileged position, as we care for people when they need help most. But we’re starting to see more and more care delivered in completely unsuitable locations, as this survey shows.
“The responses show how demoralised nursing staff feel about working in these conditions – they are simply not sustainable, and could deter future nurses from embarking on this unique and rewarding career”.
Ends
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world, with 450,000 members. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.
The Emergency Care Association (ECA) represents RCN members working in emergency care.
