Patients across the UK are facing harm as nurses report deteriorating conditions in the National Health Service (NHS), with overcrowded hospitals and the growing practice of providing care in unsuitable settings such as corridors.
A new report from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) highlights alarming findings from a survey of over 5,000 NHS nurses. Nine in ten respondents stated that patient safety is being compromised, and nearly 70% (66.8%) reported regularly delivering care in overcrowded or inappropriate locations, including corridors, converted storage rooms, car parks, and even bereavement areas.
“This testimony from thousands of nursing staff across the UK reveals a devastating collapse in care standards, with patients routinely coming to harm,” said the RCN. The report draws particular attention to the growing normalization of “corridor care,” where patients are treated in cramped, unsuitable spaces. Nurses have expressed difficulty accessing life-saving equipment, and in some tragic instances, patients have died while being treated in corridors.
One nurse from East England described corridor care as “the rule, not the exception,” within their hospital trust.
The scale of the crisis is underscored by a shocking rise in emergency care delays. In December 2023, over 54,000 patients waited more than 12 hours in emergency departments across England before being allocated a hospital bed, a 23% increase from the previous month.
Accounts of Patient Harm
The RCN report features numerous disturbing testimonies from nurses. Among them, one nurse described having to treat up to 40 patients at a time in a corridor, while another reported witnessing pregnant women miscarrying in such spaces. The report also details instances where overcrowded corridors impeded efforts to administer life-saving resuscitation (CPR). One nurse recounted the tragic death of a patient who suffered a cardiac arrest “by the male toilet.”
Other accounts revealed the dire conditions in which staff are forced to work. One nurse claimed to have performed CPR without access to critical equipment such as a crash trolley, defibrillator, or oxygen, with no crash bell available and other staff observing helplessly.
“This harrowing testimony from frontline nurses shows the daily reality of patients coming to harm,” said RCN General Secretary Nicola Ranger. “Vulnerable individuals are losing their dignity, and nursing staff are being denied access to life-saving resources. We can now unequivocally say that patients are dying in these circumstances.”
Worsening Crisis
The NHS crisis has deepened in recent years. In June 2024, the RCN declared a “national emergency” over hospital overcrowding, with care being provided in unsuitable spaces. The Health Foundation charity’s Tim Gardner pointed out that emergency care delays, once rare, are now at the worst level recorded since data began in 2011.
The NHS currently has over 7.5 million people on waiting lists, with more than 3 million patients experiencing delays of over 18 weeks for treatment.
In response to the crisis, Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who took office in July, unveiled a plan to reduce hospital pressure by expanding community health centers. Health Secretary Wes Streeting acknowledged the unsafe and undignified nature of corridor care but stated that reversing the damage done to the NHS would take time.
The ongoing strain on the NHS continues to raise serious concerns about patient safety, as frontline workers struggle to provide adequate care in the face of systemic overcrowding and resource shortages.
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