Commenting in The Independent on an article regarding pressures on urgent and emergency care and the impact of corridor care, Dr Vicky Price, president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “Corridor care on trollies undoubtedly leads to uncomfortable periods of time for patients, lacking the privacy and dignity that they deserve and leading to harm with complications such as pressure sores, delirium and reduced mobility – all of which increases length of hospital stay.
“Alongside this is a predictable perfect storm of winter illnesses, high bed occupancy and patients stranded in hospital through no fault of their own. Patient harm causes moral injury to staff who are often unable to deliver the high class care to which they would aspire.
“We have been warning of the dangers of corridor care almost all year and the fact it has persisted for such a duration reflects that it is now perceived as routine practice – but it is unacceptable. It is not safe – particularly for older patients – it is degrading and it is demoralising for staff.
“Yet given the current state of play, it is likely to only worsen from here as pressures increase further on already extremely stretched urgent and emergency care services.
“Back in September we highlighted how a coroner in Blackpool issued a prevention of future death notice for a 90-year-old man who died waiting to be seen by a doctor in a chair in an overcrowded Emergency Department.
“This was not an isolated case and many more are, and will, sadly have similar experiences over the next few months as there is a tacit acceptance and almost normalisation of poor urgent and emergency care heading into this winter.
“While potential mitigation was possible, this required a resolution of industrial action, a stronger commitment to funding the workforce plan and a significant emergency package to support social care. However, failure to deliver on these has left things in a precarious position.”