Research Reveals Devastating Reality Of So Called ‘Corridor Care’

Almost one in five patients in Emergency Departments were being cared for in trolleys or chairs in corridors in England this summer, with so-called ‘corridor care’ leaving people feeling ‘forgotten and vulnerable’.

That’s among the key findings contained in a major report on the state of corridor care in A&Es, published today (10 November) by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Emergency Care.

Titled Corridor Care, the research, compiled by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) which acts as secretariat for the APPG, reveals what patients are experiencing when they seek urgent or emergency care in ED, the harm they are exposed to, and what needs to be done to address this crisis.

So-called ‘corridor care’ refers to the practice of providing patient care in clinically inappropriate areas such as corridors, waiting rooms or other temporary spaces which are not designed or equipped to treat patients in.

Corridor care is a visible symptom of the pressures facing the entire system. These pressures include shortages of staffed hospital beds and delays in discharging patients due to gaps in community and social care provision. This creates a bottleneck in hospitals, with those requiring admission remaining in Emergency Departments for extended periods and care being delivered wherever space can be found.

Between 30 July – 13 August 2025, RCEM polled Clinical leads – who oversee A&Es – to capture a snapshot of the prevalence of corridor care and the standard of care patients were receiving.

In total, representatives from 58 Type 1 Emergency Departments across England responded.

They revealed:

• Across the EDs in our sample, 19% of patients were being treated on trolleys or chairs in the corridor. That’s almost one in five attendances who were being cared for in an inappropriate setting, during a summer month, when there has historically been respite.
• 5% of respondents had patients being cared for in ambulances outside their department
• Over three quarters of respondents (78%) felt patients were coming into harm in their department due to the quality of care that can be delivered under current conditions
• Given that corridor care has become a perennial issue, it is no surprise that this concern is impacting the public’s confidence in Emergency Departments.

Exclusive public polling conducted on behalf of the APPG by Ipsos* across Great Britain found 58% of respondents are not confident that their A&E would provide a timely service.

Meanwhile, over a quarter (28%) of respondents to the nationally representative survey said that they were not confident that they would be treated in a clinically appropriate area, and 42% reported hesitancy around attending due to concerns about long waiting times.

Free text responses to a further RCEM survey, conducted in partnership with the Patient’s Association, revealed testimonies about what people experienced in EDs.

One respondent said: “Corridor care has affected my confidence. I would think twice about going to A&E again unless it was absolutely unavoidable. The experience of being left on a corridor made me feel forgotten and vulnerable. I worry that if I went back, I might not be treated in a timely or safe way.”

Another said: “While I know staff are doing their best, the environment didn’t feel like the right place to receive care, and that has shaken my trust.”

To improve the experience of patients in Emergency Departments, and teams working in them, the report makes a series of recommendations to address the crisis, including targeted improvements to patient through a reduction in delayed discharges, reforms to funding and focusing on 12-hour waits.

The APPG on Emergency Care pledged to look into corridor care earlier this year, after RCEM published analysis revealing there were more than 16,600 deaths associated with long A&E waits before admission in England last year.

The informal cross-party group brings together Parliamentarians who will engage with healthcare professionals and organisations outside government to advocate for improvements in Urgent and Emergency Care, with the secretariat function being provided by RCEM.

Dr Ian Higginson, President of The Royal College of Emergency Medicine said:
“This report reveals the reality of so-called ‘corridor care’ in England. Put simply – it’s a source of national shame.

“Every day, patients are counting the hours they have been in ED, on trolleys in corridors, on chairs in unsuitable spaces, or simply in any available spot.

“Emergency Care never used to look like this. It’s incredibly disheartening for those working in our departments, who are doing everything they can to provide care under these conditions – and even more so for the patients through no fault of their own.

“It’s distressing, undignified, and it’s putting lives at risk.

“The situation is a visible sign that the system isn’t operating as it should – whether it is hospitals not operating fully effectively, or the inability to discharge people from wards who are ready to go home, as there aren’t appropriate social care options in place.

“This report, with its recommendations, is essential reading for all politicians, policy makers and healthcare leaders. We need meaningful change, before the crisis in our Emergency Departments deteriorates further. Lives depend on it.”

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, who is the Member of Parliament for Tooting, a working Emergency Medicine Doctor, and Chair of the APPG on Emergency Care, said:
“In emergency departments across the country, patients are being let down; stuck waiting hours upon hours, with many left to be treated in hospital corridors. It is unsafe, undignified, and symptomatic of an NHS that is stretched, working desperately to support patients but struggling to cope with demand.

“As an A&E doctor, I know my colleagues across the NHS work tirelessly for their patients. Staff are defined by their dedication, empathy and steadfast commitment to those in their care. In Westminster, we need to match their resolve, support frontline staff and give the NHS the resources it needs so that it is always there, free at the point of use, when we need it.

“Every patient deserves privacy, compassion, and high-quality care, not on a trolley in a hallway. Our cross-party group of Parliamentarians looks forward to working collaboratively with the Government, Ministers and NHS leaders to reach our shared goal – ending corridor care for good.”