Political opinion with Alison Bennett MP: Can we really care in corridors?

At a recent event in Parliament, I spoke to Age UK about A&E performance in Sussex and next steps for reducing wait times and eradicating so-called ‘Corridor Care’.

The stats were concerning. At the Royal Sussex County hospital between October-December 2025, there were over 2,500 cases waiting 12 hours or more to be admitted or discharged. This accounted for 35.6% of total A&E attendance, whilst the national average for the same period was just 10.5%. RSCH also ranked as the worst performing out of 168 hospitals across England.

Hospitals and staff are under huge strain, with an aging population, a social care system that successive governments have neglected, and a network of GPs that are struggling to see everyone quickly who wants an appointment. As a result, increasing numbers of people are presenting at A&E with ailments or complaints that could have been dealt with by a GP practice, if surgeries had the capacity and workforce to do so.

Even those who are admitted to hospital can have a hard time getting out again, due to them not having adequate support ready to continue their recovery at home. On a visit to the Royal Sussex County Hospital last year, I was told that on average, 350 patients are medically well enough to go home but cannot because there is no social care package available for them. This number of beds is the equivalent of the entirety of the Princess Royal Hospital being full.

This is extremely worrying, both for residents and NHS workers who are doing their best to provide quality care in an increasingly challenging environment. They are attempting to plug holes as they appear, but the government’s lack of motivation to deal with the social care crisis means that their efforts often feel futile. How are they meant to fight fires at the front door of the NHS, while the back door is left to burn?

Mid Sussex residents who rely on these hospitals – and staff within them – deserve better. The government needs to commit to social care reform, rather than using reviews to push the can down the road.