Political opinion with Alison Bennett MP: Corridor care must never become normal

Over the last two years, I have raised the issue of corridor care in Sussex in Parliament. Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals are doing extraordinary work under increasingly difficult circumstances, yet they are being forced to treat patients in corridors. Equally, no family wants to take a loved one to A&E only to see them spending hours on a trolley waiting for treatment. The current situation is failing both those working within the NHS and those relying on its services, and it cannot be allowed to continue. 

Last Wednesday, I got to share some of my constituents’ experiences of corridor care in our local hospitals. Their accounts were deeply troubling. People described waiting for hours on trolleys, receiving treatment without privacy, and being cared for in hospital corridors because there was simply nowhere else for them to go. 

These stories are a stark reminder that corridor care is not just a buzzword or a headline in a newspaper. It means vulnerable people being treated in unsuitable conditions at frightening and painful moments. No one should have to endure that.

At the same time, it is crucial to recognise the dedication of NHS staff who continue to provide compassionate care under enormous pressure. Their professionalism is remarkable, but their commitment should never be used to excuse a system that is struggling to cope. They deserve the buildings, staffing levels and support needed to do their jobs safely and effectively.  

The pressures facing our hospitals are the result of years of underinvestment combined with rising demand. If we are serious about tackling this crisis, we need proper investment in hospital capacity, a strengthened NHS workforce and a social care system that works. Too many patients remain in hospital because the care they need outside hospital simply is not available, creating bottlenecks throughout the health service. 

For the sake of patients and staff, we must never accept corridor care as the new normal. Ending this requires political will and long-term planning, but it has to be a national priority. Patients deserve safe, timely and dignified treatment, and NHS staff deserve a system that enables them to provide it.