Corridor care is a “crisis in plain sight”, a leading charity has warned, as it described “truly shocking” incidents of poor care of elderly people waiting days on end for care.
A first-hand account from a patient likened hospital corridor care to war films with “queues of stretchers and people suffering” in Age UK’s new report.
It also details other “heartbreaking” incidents of poor care, including patients hearing or seeing others dying as they waited for their own care.
The report details information about a woman dying from a heart attack after being left to wait; a patient who was “lost” after being put on a disused corridor and a man left hooked up to an IV drip in a chair for 20 hours, who soiled himself because he was unable to get to the toilet.
People told the charity about “puddles of urine” on the floor as immobile patients are unable to go to the toilet and patients being forced to use bedpans in corridors.
It also details the case of an elderly man who cared for his wife in hospital and stayed awake for 36 hours straight because he was so concerned about how she would be treated.
Patients have faced extremely long waits, with some waiting days in corridors before being admitted to a ward, the charity said.
It raised concerns that poor quality care “is now almost expected” in some A&E departments and warned the situation could “get worse” as the NHS heads into winter.
Age UK said that many patients are unwilling to go to A&E, even if they are in a life-threatening situation because of their past experiences.
It called on the Government to “urgently” tackle corridor care as it warned that older people are disproportionately affected.
Ministers should produce a plan to end long A&E waits and corridor care, with specific deadlines and milestones, it said.
Testimonies shared with Age UK include:
– A 79-year-old woman from south London said: “The corridors were lined with patients on trolleys, hooked up to drips, some moaning in pain. It reminded me of war films, with queues of stretchers and people suffering.”
– She added: “I was next to a man who was clearly unwell. He was alone for some time, then his wife was brought in. They whispered as they had little privacy. Then, after a long silence, she was led away, crying. I’m certain he died. And he died right next to me.”
– Another person told Age UK: “The hospital totally lost him. Stuck in a disused corridor for 36 hours and staff kept saying he hasn’t been admitted by the ambulance crew. In the end, he took pictures of where he was before anyone agreed he was in (the hospital). He was 86 years old, stuck on a trolley with safety bars up, he was unable to get off the trolley, so this meant no food, drinks or access to a toilet.”
– Another said: “My friend’s mother was left waiting ages when she was having a heart attack, and died before receiving any care.”
– A grieving widow told the charity: “My very ill late husband, with a drip attached, was put in a chair… he was desperate to go to the loo and there was no one to take him. He was left with excrement in his pants and was left in this state for over 20 hours. How dreadful he felt – no modesty.”
– Another person said: “Some people, many elderly, had been there for many hours. Absolutely no dignity. There were puddles of urine on the floor, which meant those poor people were lying in a wet bed.”
Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK, said: “What’s happening to some very ill older people when they come to A&E is a crisis hiding in plain sight which the Government must face up to and take immediate action to resolve.
“No one should have to spend their final days in a hospital corridor where it’s impossible for the staff to provide good, compassionate care, and it’s truly shocking that this is what is happening to some very old people in some hospitals, today and every day.
“And as we head into winter, we fear that an already very difficult situation in and around some A&Es will get even worse.”
She went on: “Many of the stories we have heard from older people and their families are heartbreaking and, to make it worse, the older you are, the more likely you are, it seems, to endure a lengthy and often uncomfortable wait.
“Corridor care and long A&E waits are like a rot eating away the heart of the NHS, undermining public trust and destroying the ability of committed hospital staff to be able to take pride in a job well done.
“As a result, we fear that poor quality care in and around some A&E departments is now almost expected – a truly dire situation we must act urgently to turn around.
“The good news is that these problems can be tackled and solved – some hospitals have the problem of long waits and corridor care under control.
“There’s a lot that hospitals themselves can do to improve the situation in their A&Es, but what’s most needed now is for Government to step up, show determined leadership and use all the levers at its disposal – including targets, inspection and funding – to bring this crisis, which is disproportionately hurting our oldest old, to an end.”
According to the latest figures for England, some 75% of patients were seen within four hours in A&Es in September.
The number of people waiting more than 12 hours in A&E departments in England from a decision to admit to actually being admitted – so-called “corridor care” – stood at 44,765 in September, up from 35,909 in August.
Commenting, Professor Nicola Ranger, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: “Corridor care is a moral stain on our health service, and this report is yet more evidence of its devastating consequences. No elderly or vulnerable person should be forced to endure these conditions. It is unsafe, undignified, and unacceptable.
“Overstretched and understaffed nursing teams work hard every day to deliver the best care, but they face an impossible task. You simply cannot provide good quality care when patients are lining corridors or are pushed into any other available space, no matter how inappropriate.
“The reality is nursing staff and patients are being set up to fail by a system that simply isn’t working.”
Health minister Karin Smyth said: “The stories in this report are heartbreaking. No-one should receive care in a corridor – it’s unacceptable, undignified and we are determined to end it.
“To tackle a problem you’ve got to be honest about it. For the first time, the NHS will measure and publish the number of patients waiting in corridors. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
“To give patients the care they deserve, we’re investing £450 million to build same day urgent and emergency care centres, buying 500 new ambulances, building 40 new mental health crisis centres, and giving NHS leaders on the ground more power to deliver local solutions.
“Ahead of this winter, we urge everyone to protect themselves, their family, and the NHS by getting vaccinated.”
