New ‘corridor nurses’ to care for sick patients waiting for hospital beds as NHS battles ‘skyrocketing’ flu case surge

NEW “corridor nurses” are being recruited to care for sick patients while they wait for hospital beds, as the NHS battles “skyrocketing” flu cases.

A hospital in North London posted the advert for the role last week in what has been called a “total acceptance of failure”.

2

2

Whittington Hospital in Archway’s call for “corridor care” nurses comes as power sockets and oxygen lines have reportedly been installed in corridor walls across the country.

Professor Nicola Ranger, head of the Royal College of Nursing, called the move “desperate” and an “affront to patient safety and dignity”.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, she warned that recruiting “corridor” nurses was normalising poor and unsafe care.

Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine agreed the notion was “completely unacceptable”.

One nurse, who works in the hospital, said patients couldn’t call for help as there are no call bells in the corridor.

She added it wasn’t uncommon for staff to use sheets to cover up patients when they needed to use to the toilet.

One end-of-life patient even passed away in the corridor because they had run out of space, which she said was “one of the saddest moments”.

Speaking to patients who had visited Whittington Hospital A&E last week, the paper reported one man in his 80s using a bottle to go to the toilet because he couldn’t walk.

His neighbour, who was accompanying him, said it was “so degrading” because “everyone could see what was going on”.

A spokesperson for Whittington Health NHS Trust said: “Our hospital has been experiencing very significant pressure in urgent and emergency care. In these circumstances we may have to provide care in corridors, as an absolute last resort.

“In common with other hospitals, where this is necessary, we bring in additional staff on a temporary basis to ensure that care can be delivered as safely and compassionately as possible to patients.

“We have worked with partners across the health and care system to request mutual aid at times of worst pressures, to alleviate the impact and ensure patients get care as quickly and safely as possible this winter.

“We are grateful to all of our hardworking staff for their commitment during this period of extraordinary pressure, and we apologise to any patient whose care has not met our usual high standards due to the exceptional level of demand.”

This comes at least 12 departments across seven NHS trusts in England declared critical incidents this week, as flu cases surge.

Brits are being urged to attend A&E alone and wear face masks as doctors warn of “unsafe” care putting lives at risk.

Professor Julian Redhead, NHS England’s director of emergency care, said cases could continue to rise as children go back to schools.

He said: “It’s too early to say it has definitively peaked. 

“I would hope there would be a peak in the next one to two weeks.

“Wards are now full to bursting and that pressure is feeding back into A&E departments, with patients being treated in environments not usually used for clinical care.”

Flu has “skyrocketed” over the festive period, with four times as many people in hospital compared to the previous month.

Warwick Hospital is the latest to declare a critical incident, after seeing attendances at A&E “consistently some of the highest we have ever experienced”, over the past week.

A statement from South Warwickshire University NHS Trust which runs the department said: “Our services are extremely busy, and our teams are working exceptionally hard to care for a high number of people seeking treatment.

“Please be aware that you may be waiting for a significant length of time.

“It has also had a significant impact on the space available in the Emergency Department, therefore please minimise the number of people coming with you to ensure there is space for those seeking care.”

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, the national medical director for ­NHS ­England, cited a “quad-demic” of illness as outbreaks of flu, Covid, the winter vomiting bug norovirus and RSV add to pressure on hospitals.

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire announced that Northampton and Kettering hospitals are facing a surge in patient demand and higher flu-related admissions.

Dr Naomi Caldwell, of NHS Northamptonshire, said: “This has been one of the most challenging winters we have ever experienced in the NHS.

“We have taken this step to ensure we can continue to deliver a safe level of care to our local population, while we work together to resolve it.”

Meanwhile, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Torbay Hospital, and North Devon Hospital have also reported “significant pressures” on their services, NHS Devon says.

An NHS England spokesperson said: “The NHS is facing unprecedented demand for services,

“But we remain clear that caring for patients in temporary spaces is not acceptable and should never be considered as standard.”