Between July and September this year, 116,141 patients experienced waits exceeding 12 hours, compared with just 1,281 in the same period in 2019, an increase of almost 9,000%. The surge is placing unprecedented pressure on emergency and elective care services across England, with knock-on effects for patient flow throughout the health system.
Capacity Crisis
Despite soaring demand, overnight hospital bed capacity has risen by only 2% since 2019, adding 2,192 beds. This means 52 patients are now competing for each additional bed.
The pressures are further compounded by limited community and social care capacity, delaying hospital discharges. NHS data from October 2024 show an average of 13,117 patients per day remained in hospital despite being medically fit for discharge, a 6% increase on the previous year.
These findings are detailed in a briefing paper from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), “Bracing for winter: a close look at NHS emergency and elective care in England and its implications for corridor care.”
Growing Frustrations Among Patients
The crisis is also reflected in patient behaviour, with more people leaving A&E without receiving treatment. This figure has risen from 100,000 in 2019 to over 320,000 in 2024, highlighting frustrations with under-staffed and under-resourced services.
Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, said:
“Nursing staff and patients alike endured a horrendous winter last year, with corridor care rife across every service. Worryingly, after no respite in the summer, the signs point to the coming colder months being devastating and more dangerous for patients.”
The Reality of Corridor Care
In the absence of official government data promised almost six months ago, 12-hour waits are the clearest indicator of corridor care, where patients are treated on trolleys, chairs, or even in cupboards or offices. Essential equipment such as oxygen and suction may be unavailable. Nursing staff report that intimate examinations sometimes take place in public areas, while temporary escalation spaces are counted as “beds” in official figures.
In January, thousands of nursing staff shared testimony of patients enduring corridor care, with some dying unnoticed for hours. The RCN declared a “national emergency” over the issue in May 2024.
Call for Government Action
Professor Ranger urged urgent intervention:
“Nursing staff have repeatedly warned about a corridor care national emergency, but the lack of urgency in tackling the crisis is unacceptable. Bed capacity has remained static, nurse numbers in hospitals haven’t increased to the level required, and community services are not being invested in anywhere near fast enough.”
The RCN is calling on ministers to boost staffing levels, increase hospital bed numbers, and invest more rapidly in primary, community, and social care services. Transparency is also crucial:
“Ministers must stop delaying publishing the data on how widespread corridor care is. Patients deserve transparency over care standards.”
Community and social care capacity remains a critical bottleneck. Care home leaders stress that investment in these services is essential to ease hospital pressures and ensure safe, timely discharge for elderly and vulnerable patients.
