The publication of NHS England's first national corridor care data provides the clearest picture yet of the scale of pressures facing urgent and emergency care services across England.
In the second part of this interview, the conversation continues with Jason Killens, Chief Executive of London Ambulance Service and Chair of AACE, turning to what needs to change and how the sector can move beyond incremental improvement.
The RCN asked members to respond to a short survey at the end of December. Thousands of nursing staff responded, confirming corridor care is widespread across the UK. This report includes the raw, unedited and often heart-breaking responses of nursing staff working across the UK.
Overly busy A&E departments and long waits are bad for everyone, but they happen most often to older people, for whom the impact can be especially devastating.
In 2024, around 800 working days, each day, have been lost to these delays, which are only counted when they exceed 30 minutes. In aggregate, it is the full-time equivalent of nearly 1,400 paramedics over the course of a year.
Lord Darzi’s Independent Investigation into NHS Performance, 2024
If you wait more than 12 hours in A&E you are more than twice as likely to die within 30 days of being discharged than if you are seen within two hours
ONS data
One in five patients treated in corridors or waiting room
RCEM Study October 2025
It was cold room with no natural light or access to toilet or shower facilities nearby. Temporary measure for no beds in the hospital. Patients felt undervalued and forgotten about.
RCN Survey Respondent, 2025
I had to change an incontinent, frail patient with dementia on the corridor, by the vending machine. It was undignifying, felt so bad at the same time it was my duty to deliver care.
RCN Survey Respondent, 2025
Spending a full 12-hour shift queuing outside hospital is soul-destroying. It’s tiring, it’s repetitive and it’s awful for patients.
