NHS in crisis as patients on trolleys fill hospital corridors
Pictures of patients stuck on trolleys in a hospital corridor tell the story of an NHS currently under huge strain.
The images from Aintree Hospital in Liverpool show huge queues of patients waiting in a corridor as the National Health Service faces "exceptional" pressures. Corridor care shows how busy hospitals are right now as areas of hospitals that were never intended for housing patients are now doing so all-year-round.
An eyewitness who took the the photos and spent the weekend in hospital praised the hardworking staff. The patient, who didn't want to give their name, said: "I was in from Thursday and that corridor was not accessible to the public but in use all day and night with people queuing in beds. There was constant need for bed spaces and spaces for beds. The staff never sat down.
"The corridor was full all the time I was there and some of the people did seem to be there for a few hours each, I didn't ever see any people actually being moved." Speaking about the hospital workers, he added: "It's a weird state of affairs inside a hospital post-COVID but what isn't weird is the staff who just keep caring for every single person they come into contact with. They deserve the world and more.
"That Aintree hospital doesn't stop, 24/7 and that's thanks to every cleaner, cook, nurse, receptionist, all of them and even when the Junior Doctors are on strike, they keep saving/protecting lives. You could see the the staff struggling to take their breaks because they had so much to do. How any politician or senior manager can act like these workers don't deserve more is beyond me."
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Long queues of patients on trolleys in a corridor at Aintree Hospital (No credit)Responding to the images, Dr Peter Turkington, executive managing director at Aintree University Hospital, told the Liverpool Echo: "Receiving care on a corridor is not the experience we want for any of our patients, and our staff are working incredibly hard to provide safe and dignified care in challenging circumstances."
"Like many emergency departments across the country, we continue to face an exceptional demand on our services. Around a quarter of patients in our beds no longer require hospital care. We are working with partners in health and social care to ensure these patients are cared for in the most appropriate setting, and make beds more readily available to patients who may need to be admitted from our Emergency Department."
The use of corridors to house patients has become normalised in hospitals across the country. Last year, as part of a series on the NHS crisis, the ECHO published images of plug sockets and 'bed space' signs that had been put in place along the corridors of Aintree Hospital, indicating that corridor care is seen as a long-term issue.
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In Liverpool's main university hospital trust - which includes Aintree and the Royal Liverpool Hospital - there were no patients waiting for 12 hours or more in January 2016. But by January 2024, this number had shot up to 1,427. The trust in Wirral, which includes Arrowe Park Hospital, saw a rise from no patients facing a 12-hour wait in January of 2016 to a whopping 915 in January of 2024. The St Helens and Knowsley Trust also saw a big jump from zero to 436 in the same months.
A spokesperson for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said: "Accident and Emergency (AandE) Departments in Cheshire and Merseyside, and across the country, are currently going through a tough time with high levels of demand for care, and longer than normal wait times. We're all working hard to get rid of the corridor waits that we have seen in some hospitals during times of severe pressure.
"We do apologise for the impact that this may be having on some patients but want to provide reassurance that patient safety continues to be our first priority. We know that hospital staff are working really hard to ensure that people get treatment as quickly as possible but will always need to prioritise those with the highest clinical need first.
"NHS Cheshire and Merseyside is also working closely with partners across all parts of the local health and social care system to help free up more bed capacity, and address the delays that people are currently experiencing.
"The public can also play their part by taking simple measures such as getting seasonal vaccines when invited to, and using services wisely. Please remember that AandE should only be used for major, life-threatening illnesses and injuries. For conditions which are less urgent, please use NHS 111, or consider visiting a local pharmacy, walk-in centre or GP practice for support instead."
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