15th August 2025
Avma has joined a coalition of health and patient organisations calling on NHS England to urgently release data on corridor care. The move aims to improve patient safety, support NHS staff, and ensure better planning for both summer and winter pressures.
‘Corridor care’ is when patients are treated in spaces not designed for medical care, such as corridors, extra beds in admission units, or other unsuitable areas. These spaces are often overcrowded, lack the right equipment, and are not staffed for safe care, putting patient safety and dignity at risk.
Ending corridor care is a matter of patient safety, staff wellbeing, and public trust. We stand ready to work constructively with NHS England to support the delivery of this shared ambition.
In a letter to NHS England Chief Executive Sir James Mackey, the coalition welcomed the Government’s promise to “consign corridor care to history” and stressed that meaningful progress depends on openness and accurate information. Publishing this data will help:
- show the scale and impact of corridor care on patient safety and staff wellbeing,
- support winter planning and include figures in the NHS Weekly Winter Situation Reports, and
- direct resources where they are needed most to protect patients and support NHS staff.
The coalition has raised concerns that summer heatwaves and winter pressures both increase risks for patients in unsuitable care settings. Publishing corridor care figures now would help improve NHS emergency care, prevent harm, and guide better planning across the health service.
This call aligns with Avma’s long-standing work to promote transparency, improve patient safety, and ensure lessons are learned from unsafe practices.