Corridor care in Welsh hospitals 'endemic', doctors say

Every emergency department in Wales is caring for patients in corridors, with the problem having become "endemic", the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) has said.

The college, which represents emergency clinicians across the UK, called on the Welsh government to prevent corridor care.

A survey carried out on three days over January and February found all 12 Welsh emergency departments had patients treated in corridors or waiting areas.

A Welsh government spokesman said they do not endorse routine care of people in "non-clinical or unsuitable environments" but there are occasions where the NHS "faces exceptional pressures".

Dr Rob Perry, RCEM vice president of Wales, said the research shows exceptional pressure is now the everyday norm in Wales' emergency departments (EDs).

He added it must not be dismissed as the annual seasonal upsurge.

"So-called 'corridor care' is dangerous, degrading, dehumanising and it is now endemic here in Wales.

"Addressing it and its causes must be a political priority, and it must act now," he said.

The results revealed an average total of 619 patients present in EDs at the time of the survey. Of that, 13.5% of patients were being treated on trolleys in corridors and other inappropriate spaces.

A further 10.7% of patients in waiting areas were deemed as needing a clinical space and 43.9% of all patients were waiting for an inpatient bed, the RCEM said.

The survey found every emergency department was full with the average cubicle occupancy being 176%. In one department there were 75 patients and just 27 cubicles, with an occupancy rate of 278%.

The survey results have been released following the monthly emergency department performance data for Wales.

Figures for emergency care in February also paint a picture of a service that is still incredibly busy.

In February, 67.7% of patients in all NHS emergency departments spent less than four hours in A&E from arrival until admission, transfer or discharge, against a target of 95%.

A total of 8,955 patients waited 12 hours or more – the target is for no-one to wait that long.

When it comes to in-patients, there was a daily average of almost 1,500 people who experienced a delay of more than 48 hours from the point when they were deemed medically well enough to leave hospital.

Dr Perry added: "Long waits, crowding, so-called corridor care - it is all unacceptable. Our members and our patients deserve so much better."

A spokesman for the Welsh government said the pressures were not unique to Wales.

"We have provided more than £200m in additional funding this year to support health and care services to safely manage more people at home and improve timeliness of discharge from hospital which is essential to help address these challenges," they said.