The traumatic impact of ‘corridor care’.

An age-old aphorism in medicine comes from Hippocrates; “Wherever the art of medicine is loved there is also a love of humanity.”

It encapsulates the intrinsic link between good medical practice and empathy, respect and understanding for patients.

Yet in many emergency departments today, an over-stretched system is resulting in a standard of care that’s undignified, unsafe and inhumane for both patients and clinical staff.

Corridor care

“Corridor care” is a catch-all term for the use of any non-designated clinical spaces to treat patients. Despite NHS England guidance condemning the practice as “not acceptable”, it has become widespread across the NHS, where underlying issues with patient flow and a lack of beds leave hospitals with little choice. A study by the Trainee Emergency Research Network (TERN) found that at any single point in time, almost one-fifth of all ED patients were being cared for in non-standard spaces.

A 2025 MDDUS survey of 816 hospital doctors across the UK found that almost 1 in 10 (9%) were providing corridor care on a daily basis, while an RCP snapshot survey reported nearly 4 in 5 (78%) of doctors had provided care in a temporary environment in the past month.

The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) has warned that corridor care creates serious patient safety risks and patients themselves report insufficient food and toilet facilities, a lack of privacy and family members dying from illnesses contracted in these spaces.

Heartbreaking testimony in the RCN’s latest report on corridor care speaks to how traumatic the practice can be, for the patients being treated and the staff pushed to their limit.

Increased risk

In the same MDDUS survey, the overwhelming majority (86%) of doctors said corridor care greatly or moderately compromised patient safety. Doctors who had treated patients in temporary spaces in the past 12 months reported reduced patient privacy (85%), reduced patient dignity (79%), difficulties with monitoring (65%) and infection control concerns (49%).

Though doctors continue to do their best for their patients, the conflict between the care they know patients should receive and the reality of practicing in crowded, unsanitary corridors, resulted in 66% of doctors feeling demoralised by the situation.

As a medico-legal organisation, our concern is that an increase in the practice of corridor care not only increases the level of stress and burnout in medical practitioners but also increases the risk of harm to patients occurring.

Dr John Holden, Chief Medical Officer at MDDUS said:

“We know temporary spaces lack appropriate equipment and room to manoeuvre – corridors, coffee outlets and reception areas were never designed to treat patients.

“It’s also been reported by Age UK that patients are being ‘lost’ by hospitals due to the confusion corridor care causes.

“This is unacceptable. Doctors cannot give the level of care they’re trained to provide under these circumstances, despite their best efforts.

“It seems inevitable that at some point, something could go seriously wrong. And when it does, who will be blamed?”

Changes needed

Every effort must be made to return to safe, compassionate, humane care.

MDDUS joins other medical leaders in calling for an end to corridor care, and for:

• Data collection and publication on the number of patients being treated in temporary spaces and the impact of this practice on patient safety.
• Addressing of issues with patient flow, including bed shortages and discharge delays.
• Commitment from health policy leaders that corridor care should never be seen as ‘normal’.
• Recognition of the traumatic impact that experiencing corridor care has both on patients and clinical staff.

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This page was correct at the time of publication. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.