Corridor care has become ‘regrettable reality’ in NHS hospitals, regulator says

So-called corridor care “must not become normalised” but has become a “regrettable reality”, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has said.

There have also been “worrying reports” of people’s health deteriorating while waiting for elective care, according to the health regulator.

It comes as a major CQC survey found patient satisfaction with NHS hospitals in England has improved slightly over the past year although many aspects of care, including waits to get a bed on a ward, are worse than before the pandemic.

The latest annual poll of hospital inpatients covers the experiences of people over the age of 16 who stayed at least one night in hospital in November 2024.

Some 62,444 people responded to the survey from across 131 NHS trusts.

The CQC said that, of the 36 questions asked, 17 showed statistically significant improvement, 17 remained stable and two declined.

Areas of improvement include staff availability, with 57.9% of people reporting there were always enough nurses on duty to care for them, compared to 55.7% in 2023 and 51.6% in 2022

Some 36.8% of people said staff involved them a great deal in decisions about their care, up from 34.7% in 2023.

Around eight in 10 people said they always had confidence and trust in the doctors treating them, similar to 2023, while 82% said they felt they were always treated with dignity and respect, unchanged from the previous year.

However, around two in five patients in hospital for planned care said they would like to have been admitted a lot sooner (19.9%) or a bit sooner (22.2%).

More than four in 10 (43%) told the survey their health had deteriorated while waiting to be admitted to hospital, with around a quarter saying it got “a bit worse” and 17% saying it got much worse.

Some 17.8% of people said they waited far too long to get a bed after arriving at hospital in 2024, which was unchanged from the previous year.

However, in 2020, only 7.9% of people reported waiting far too long, the CQC said.

More than three quarters (77.8%) said they received the right amount of information about their condition while in hospital, although one in five said staff did not discuss additional needs at home when they were discharged.

Less than half (47.5%) said they felt they got enough support from health or social care services when leaving hospital, and 23.1% said they did not receive enough support.

Dr Toli Onon, chief inspector of hospitals at the CQC, said: “Despite the pressures facing the NHS, most people surveyed continue to report positively about their interactions with hospital staff.

“That feedback is a testament to the efforts of frontline healthcare professionals working tirelessly to provide high quality care to those that need it.

“However, the lack of progress in areas such as discharge arrangements and in people feeling they received enough information – particularly when leaving hospital – is disappointing.”

The poll also found that a quarter of all patients surveyed who had to wait to be admitted to a ward did so for six hours or more, with 17.5% waiting for 12 hours or more and 9.8% waiting more than 24 hours.

Of those who said they had to wait for a bed, some 45.6% waited in a treatment bay, while 30.8% said they waited in a waiting room.

Some 18% told the survey they waited in a corridor or hallway.

Dr Onon said: “There are also some worrying reports of lengthy waits and the proportion of people whose health deteriorated while waiting for elective care is a real concern.

“Equally, waits to be transferred to a ward when in hospital are an issue.

“Patients should receive safe and effective care in an environment that allows for their privacy and dignity to be protected.

“‘Corridor care’ must not become normalised – however, these survey results demonstrate that in some cases the short-term use of temporary escalation spaces to relieve pressure on the ambulance sector is a regrettable reality.

“Hospitals must have in place the processes and culture to ensure that patients receive the care and attention they need in every environment.”

The latest NHS England performance data shows an estimated 7.37 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of June, relating to 6.23 million patients – up from 7.36 million treatments and just under 6.23 million patients at the end of May.

However, the proportion of patients facing the longest waits fell, with 1,103 patients waiting more than 18 months to start routine treatment, down from 1,237 in May.

There were 10,517 patients who had been waiting more than 65 weeks, down from 11,522 the previous month, while 52 week-waits fell to 191,813 from 196,920 at the end of May.

Dr Onon aded: “We know that trusts are working incredibly hard to see people as quickly as possible and to manage the flow of patients from admission through to discharge, in order to maximise capacity for care provision.

“The latest NHS Performance figures indicate an improvement against the 18-week target – but overall, waiting lists remain stubbornly high.

“As pressures continue to mount heading into winter, ensuring safety, effectiveness of care and the best possible experience throughout the entirety of the patient journey must be a priority for all parts of the health and care system.”

A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “After over a decade of neglect, we are starting to get the NHS back on its feet with much needed reform and £26 billion investment.

“Patient satisfaction has improved over the past year, patients feel they have more of a say in their treatment decisions, and they have greater confidence in our hardworking NHS staff.

“But there is far, far more to do, and this Government is determined to not just fix our NHS but make it fit for the future.

“We’re working hard to cut waiting lists, with 4.9 million extra appointments already delivered; mend the front door to the NHS to improve GP access; and deliver a seismic shift in care from hospital to community through our 10-year health plan.”