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A recent analysis by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine highlights that Northern Ireland experiences a significantly higher rate of patients being treated in hospital corridors compared to other parts of the UK. The research, conducted by The Trainee Emergency Medicine Research Network (TERN), took a snapshot over five days in March, examining emergency departments (EDs) throughout the UK. The findings reveal a concerning picture of overcrowded and insufficient clinical spaces, with Northern Ireland standing out for the scale of the issue.
Dr Michael Perry, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in Northern Ireland, expressed strong condemnation of the situation, describing it as “completely unacceptable.” He emphasized that corridor care undermines patient dignity, breaches confidentiality, and leads to harm. Dr Perry urged political leaders in Northern Ireland to take urgent action, stating, “Those in power in Northern Ireland must do better. This is horrific. Corridor care is undignified; it compromises confidentiality and causes harm. It must be eradicated.”
The study monitored 165 emergency departments across the UK, including several key hospitals in Northern Ireland such as Craigavon Area, The Ulster, Royal Victoria, and Antrim Area hospitals. Nationally, one in five patients were treated in escalation or corridor areas, whereas in Northern Ireland the data shows that number rises to one in three. Additionally, the report found that between 10-25% of EDs lack available resuscitation cubicles. Patient flow was identified as the foremost challenge—specifically the difficulty in discharging patients who have completed their treatment, which prevents the admission of new patients.
According to the Royal College, corridor care has become “endemic” across the UK, underscoring a problem that frontline staff have long been highlighting. Dr Ian Higginson, UK College President, pointed out that solving this crisis requires strategic investment. “That doesn’t mean more money but instead how we choose to spend the money on keeping people out of hospital and what is spent on the number of hospital beds,” he explained. Dr Higginson called on all devolved governments to commit to ending corridor care to improve conditions for patients and staff alike.
Speaking on BBC’s Good Morning Ulster, Dr Perry described the situation as “scandalous,” characterizing it as a “nightmare situation for patients and staff all year round.” He acknowledged it as a national problem but stressed that Northern Ireland is lagging significantly behind the rest of the UK. Dr Perry pinpointed the key issue as the “lack of flow” through hospitals and described treating patients in corridors as “inhumane.” He highlighted that over 500 patients in Northern Ireland hospitals have completed their medical treatment but remain unable to be discharged due to social care needs, effectively blocking functional beds. In his words, “The government and the executive need to come together to tackle this.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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