The BGS welcomes the steps announced today by NHS England aimed at eradicating corridor care. Provision of care in corridors and other non-clinical spaces is dangerous and undignified for everyone, and older people living with frailty are most likely to be affected. As such, we are heartened to see the increased risk to older people highlighted so prominently in this announcement.
We have been pleased to work with colleagues from the Corridor Care Coalition and NHS England to develop the definitions being published today, and we wholeheartedly endorse the action plan as set out by NHS England.
We know that corridor care is not inevitable, but it is a system-wide issue. Trusts looking to address this problem will need to ensure services are available in the community to support older people living at home and reduce their need for a hospital visit in the first place. They need front door frailty services that can identify older people with frailty as soon as they arrive at the hospital and divert them to more appropriate care. It’s also vital that strong social care and rehabilitation services are in place to ensure that older people can be discharged as soon as they are well enough, improving flow through the hospital. Addressing corridor care will need to be a cross-system effort.
Professor Jugdeep Dhesi, BGS President, said:
No one working in healthcare wants to provide care in unsafe or undignified settings such as corridors, but sadly, this is the situation that many colleagues up and down the country have been forced into. However, we know that there are steps that systems can take to ensure that all care is safe and dignified, and delivered in appropriate settings. Systems struggling with this issue need support from NHS England, and we are pleased to see NHSE showing leadership on the corridor care issue. We welcome these proposed steps, and look forward to working with colleagues to ensure that all older people attending hospital receive efficient and appropriate care."
