The RCP has responded to a position statement published by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), regarding NHS England guidance on ‘Principles for providing safe and good quality care in temporary escalation spaces.’
Dr John Dean, clinical vice president at the Royal College of Physicians, said:
“We welcome RCEM’s position statement and share their concerns about the increasing use of spaces that aren’t designed or equipped to care for patients like corridors. That’s why we’re calling for urgent and coordinated action across the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care to address this.
“It is imperative that we have a mechanism in place to formally measure and publicly report the extent of care being provided in temporary care environments. This is a critical first step in addressing the systemic challenges that have led to these practices.
“We are also urging the NHS, the department of health and social care, and arms-length bodies across the four nations of the United Kingdom to:
- implement robust systems and processes to eliminate corridor care,
- provide essential support to both patients and staff when care is delivered in temporary or unsuitable spaces,
- and adopt a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to the use of such inadequate care environments.
“Corridor care is unsafe and unacceptable. It compromises patient safety, dignity, and staff wellbeing, and must end.”