Flut-hit NHS hospitals are advertising for “corridor nurses” to look after patients stuck in busy hallways amid “unprecedented” demand for hospital beds.
Whittington Hospital in North London posted the alarming advert last week pleading for temporary 12-hour “corridor care” nurses. It comes as the hospital said it is experiencing “very significant pressure” in its urgent and emergency care, The Sunday Times reported.
A spokesperson for Whittington Health NHS Trust said: “Our hospital has been experiencing very significant pressure in urgent and emergency care. In these circumstances we may have to provide care in corridors, as an absolute last resort.
“In common with other hospitals, where this is necessary, we bring in additional staff on a temporary basis to ensure that care can be delivered as safely and compassionately as possible to patients.
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One nurse said some staff use sheets to cover up patients when they need the toilet
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“We have worked with partners across the health and care system to request mutual aid at times of worst pressures, to alleviate the impact and ensure patients get care as quickly and safely as possible this winter.
“We are grateful to all of our hardworking staff for their commitment during this period of extraordinary pressure, and we apologise to any patient whose care has not met our usual high standards due to the exceptional level of demand.”
The move has been criticised by Professor Nicola Ranger, head of the Royal College of Nursing, who called the plea “desperate” and an “affront to patient safety and dignity”.
She warned that recruiting “corridor” nurses was normalising poor and safe care. One nurse, who didn’t want to be named, works at the hospital in north London and said patients couldn’t call for help as there are no call bells in the corridor.
The nurse said some staff use sheets to cover up patients when they need the toilet. According to The Sunday Times, an 80-year-old man had visited Whittington Hospital A&E last week and was forced to use a bottle to pee in because he couldn’t walk. The man’s neighbour, who supported him at the hospital, called it “so degrading” as “everyone could see what was going on.”
Many hospital trusts have declared critical incidents
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It comes as NHS trusts in England declared critical incidents this week amid a rise in flu cases. At least 12 departments across seven NHS trusts have declared critical incidents, with Brits urged to attend A&E alone and wear face masks.
An NHS England spokesperson said: “The NHS is facing unprecedented demand for services, But we remain clear that caring for patients in temporary spaces is not acceptable and should never be considered as standard.”
Cases could also be set to rise as kids returned to school and flu “skyrocketed” over the Christmas period, with four times as many people in hospital compared to the previous month.
Professor Julian Redhead, NHS England’s director of emergency care, said: “It’s too early to say it has definitively peaked. I would hope there would be a peak in the next one to two weeks.