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NHS Corridor Care
08 July 2026
Lead MP
Rosena Allin-Khan
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
NHS
Other Contributors: 33
At a Glance
Rosena Allin-Khan raised concerns about nhs corridor care in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
Expressed deep concern about the issue of 'corridor care' in NHS, highlighting that treatment in corridors is not care due to lack of proper equipment and dignity. Stressed the importance of accurate data collection and robust definitions for assessing the issue properly. Emphasised the need for better social care provision to reduce hospital admissions and improve discharges.
Tooting
Called attention to the multifaceted drivers of corridor care, including failing social care systems that prevent timely discharges. Highlighted the impact on mental health patients who often face long waits in A&E due to lack of proper facilities and support. Stressed the need for more partnerships between emergency departments and mental health trusts. Mentioned the importance of addressing violence against staff and ensuring they can report issues without fear.
Acknowledged that NHS staff feel as frustrated with corridor care as patients, underscoring the need for more staff to address the issue.
Irene Campbell
Lab
Scotland
Highlighted the lack of recorded statistics on corridor care in Scotland and emphasised the importance of accurate data collection for tracking improvement.
Shared local trust data showing daily patients treated outside clinical rooms, reinforcing that corridor care is an everyday issue requiring government action to address root causes.
Agreed with the need for urgent action to ensure dignity in patient care and prevent undignified experiences for vulnerable elderly patients.
Supported proactive primary and community care services proposed by the Government as a way to prevent some admissions for older and frail patients.
Suggested that NHS workforce planning and funding should reflect additional pressures during peak tourist seasons, particularly in regions like Cornwall.
Called for the Scottish Government to publish statistics on corridor care to track and resolve the issue, as is done in England.
Adam Dance
Con
Yeovil
Highlighted personal experience of a relative's tragic hospital stay due to poor social care provision and emphasised the need for increased investment in social care.
Pointed out that corridor care issues are compounded when police officers are present, highlighting the need for better facilities to handle such situations.
Judith Cummins
Lab
Bradford South
Called on the hon. Lady to conclude her remarks shortly and stated that they will start with an immediate five-minute time limit.
Described the impact of corridor care in Mid Sussex, including stories from constituents who experienced or witnessed it. She emphasised the extraordinary efforts of healthcare staff while highlighting the systemic issues leading to such situations and called for investment in capacity, workforce, social care, and reducing waiting lists.
Salford and Eccles
Expressed gratitude towards Dr Allin-Khan for her speech and shared personal experiences of witnessing corridor care. She described the systemic issues leading to such situations, including years of political decisions that have stretched the healthcare system beyond breaking point, and called for comprehensive solutions involving a national care service, investment in community nursing, mental health services, and prevention measures.
Rebecca Paul
Con
East Surrey
I thank the hon. Member for Tooting for securing the debate and highlight the critical issue of corridor care in East Surrey hospital, where patients are being treated in spaces not designed for clinical treatment. I argue that this problem is exacerbated by a lack of physical space and outdated infrastructure. The planned new specialist emergency care hospital in Sutton would help address these issues but its start has been delayed until 2033.
Naushabah Khan
Lab
Gillingham and Rainham
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this important matter and share heartbreaking stories from constituents who have experienced corridor care, with over 90,000 instances in May alone. I argue that the current state of NHS is a result of under-investment by Conservative Governments over the past decade. While welcoming steps taken to address the issue, I urge for faster reform in adult social care to match the pace needed.
Iqbal Mohamed
Con
Tatton
Congratulated the hon. Member for Tooting on securing the debate and acknowledged the efforts made by the current Government to address issues in the NHS, including bringing down waiting lists significantly. Emphasised that patients are being treated in non-clinical areas due to lack of investment and overcrowding, which compromises their privacy, dignity, and care quality. Highlighted an instance where Catherine's husband had to wait for five hours in a corridor with elderly patients lacking adequate support.
Sarah Hall
Con
Warrington South
Asserted that corridor care is unacceptable and should be addressed immediately, expressing concern about the significant pressure on Warrington hospital's A&E services. Proposed a three-part pragmatic plan to improve urgent treatment facilities, move routine appointments into the community, and modernise outdated hospital facilities. Emphasised the need for better integration of health and social care, as well as closer collaboration between local NHS trusts and communities.
Ellie Chowns
Con
Hereford and South Herefordshire
Chowns expressed concerns about elderly patients being stuck in corridors, affecting their treatment and care outcomes. She highlighted that staff are forced to work under difficult conditions and praised the local hospital for setting a target of ending corridor care by autumn 2023. Chowns stressed the importance of addressing social care issues alongside NHS reforms, pointing out the need for political effort to fix these problems. She mentioned 15,000 excess deaths in 2025 due to corridor care according to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.
Mitcham and Morden
McDonagh discussed the issue from a nurse's perspective, describing overcrowded A&E departments with 250 patients daily. She noted that elderly people were cared for on trolleys out of sight of nurses, highlighting that corridor care starts much earlier due to the lack of community services and alternatives. McDonagh called for investment in preventive services to reduce hospital admissions, particularly stressing the importance of proper infrastructure and capacity around A&E departments.
Nusrat Ghani
Con
Wealden
Ghani announced the results of deferred Divisions but did not contribute any substantial position or debate on corridor care in the NHS.
Yasmin Qureshi
Lab
Bolton South East
Qureshi shared a personal experience of being treated for high blood pressure and having to wait in a public waiting room, highlighting systemic issues that lead to corridor care. He emphasised the national emergency across the UK with nearly 148,000 patients waiting over 12 hours in A&E in May 2025 and more than 15,800 excess deaths associated with long waits according to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine. Qureshi called for a commitment from the Government to ensure that no patient spends a day on a chair in a waiting room due to lack of beds or social care.
Simon Opher
Con
Stroud
Emergency care is in crisis with patients often waiting for hours. There's an ageing population, a lack of beds and community care facilities, and limited capacity in GP surgeries. We need to reduce demand on GPs and A&E departments by involving pharmacies more actively. Senior clinicians can make faster decisions reducing backlogs. Investment and reform are needed: fixing social care, stopping agency working, improving GP access, limiting non-emergency cases in A&E, increasing primary care funding, enhancing diagnostic technology, and better managing dementia and end-of-life care.
Nusrat Ghani
Con
Wealden
Acknowledged Dr Opher's contribution but did not provide detailed position.
Echoed concerns about the reduction in NHS beds from 300,000 to 140,000. Highlighted the importance of a functioning community health service with more neighbourhood health services to reduce unnecessary admissions. Criticised 'corridor care' as an oxymoron and emphasised that patients should not wait unnecessarily in A&E. Praise for innovative approaches such as those seen at West Suffolk Hospital.
Andy MacNae
Lab
Blackburn with Darwen
Thanked Dr Allin-Khan for securing the debate and highlighted the situation in Blackburn A&E, one of the busiest departments serving east Lancashire. Described corridor care as undignified and cruel, citing several examples of patient suffering due to lack of proper facilities. Emphasised that additional resources from NHS England and the Government’s getting it right first time initiative have led to a reduction in 12-hour-plus waits by 18%. Called for continued investment and collaboration with local leadership to end corridor care.
Jayne Kirkham
Con
St Ives
Acknowledged the importance of addressing corridor care as it reflects NHS pressures. Cited statistics from Age UK showing a significant increase in patients experiencing corridor care since 2015. Highlighted the issue's year-round presence in Cornwall, with Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS trust seeing numerous cases daily. Stressed the need to address bed space and staff shortages through better community and social care integration. Welcomed measures like same-day emergency care expansion but cautioned about early discharges without proper rehabilitation.
Sojan Joseph
Lab
Eltham
Stressed the importance of highlighting corridor care to address NHS pressures. Described a visit to William Harvey hospital in his constituency where A&E departments were overcrowded even during summer months, necessitating conversion of spaces into emergency wards. Criticised previous Conservative government for under-investment and rising demand leading to normalisation of corridor care. Questioned the Minister on steps being taken to ensure healthcare infrastructure keeps pace with population growth as new homes are built. Welcomed Government’s commitment to end corridor care but called for urgent reform and targeted support.
James Naish
Con
Rushcliffe
Praised the improvements in Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, noting they were among the top performers for A&E performance and received a share of £3 million reinvestment fund. However, he highlighted critical incidents due to extreme heat driving demand beyond capacity, leading to patients experiencing lengthy waits on corridors with 188 patients in the emergency department and 20 ambulances queuing outside. He welcomed new funding and action from the Government but urged for continued support and transparency.
Helen Morgan
LD
Cowes
Expressed concerns over the extent of corridor care in NHS A&E departments, citing data showing that 36% of hospital visitors have seen care delivered in corridors. She highlighted issues such as staff demoralisation and patient safety concerns, noting instances where hospitals normalised corridor care so much they created makeshift wards for it. Morgan called on the Government to urgently address this crisis, advocating for better hospital capacity through social care reform and increased investment in primary care.
Caroline Johnson
Con
Sleaford and North Hykeham
Ms Caroline Johnson, a practising NHS paediatric consultant, expresses her concerns about the current situation in emergency departments where nearly 3,000 patients daily are placed in clinically inappropriate spaces such as corridors. She highlights that these areas lack privacy and safety for medical care. She questions if the government will support new clause 84 of the Health Bill to record deaths due to long waits in A&E. Johnson cites examples like a patient waiting over 60 hours for intravenous antibiotics, illustrating broader issues with ageing populations and increased emergency attendances. She also mentions missed targets set by the Government's urgent and emergency care plan, aiming for at least 78% of patients seen within four hours but achieving only 25.7%. Johnson advocates for a structured plan addressing prevention, community care, and improved social services.
Intervening on Caroline Johnson's speech to emphasise the importance of community hospitals in rural areas like Insch War Memorial hospital in her constituency. She underscores their role in supporting larger hospitals manage patient care effectively and preventing unnecessary corridor care.
Karin Smyth
Lab
Bristol South
Acknowledges the importance of frontline clinicians and professional bodies in shaping work to establish a consistent national definition of ‘corridor care’. Emphasises that corridor care is not an acceptable standard and must be tackled. Discusses historical context, noting improvements under previous Labour Government and subsequent neglect by Conservatives. Highlights direct experiences from Members regarding patient safety issues. Outlines measures taken including improved reporting, strengthened guidance for trusts, allocation of £1.9 billion in capital funding over four years to support urgent and emergency care improvements, and targeted support for key places experiencing the most pressure. Commends work being done across various hospitals and areas. Stresses the need for a shift from hospital to community care as part of lasting reform.
Tooting
There are very few occasions when we all come together across the House in unison on an issue. Members from every party and those who sit as independents have united against corridor care, highlighting deeply personal experiences or geographical implications of the challenge. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine reports 1,300 excess deaths occur monthly due to long A&E waits. I appreciate the Minister's commitments but urge speeding up efforts to ensure no further avoidable deaths. For every life lost unnecessarily, a family grieves. We must fix the social care system and spend resources to end corridor care for good.
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