Hundreds of patients placed in corridors at overcrowded hospitals in Leeds
Hundreds of patients placed in corridors at overcrowded hospitals in Leeds
Six-hundred emergency patients had to be looked after in corridors over just a ten-day period at the city’s overcrowded hospitals.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has been struggling to cope with more A&E patients than it has beds for, new figures show.
The trust said it was working to reduce the use of corridor spaces after being required to report the figures by NHS bosses.
Between May 1 and 10 this year, 129 patients waiting to for a bed were placed in corridors for more than 45 minutes at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI).
Overcrowding was a bigger issue at St James’s University Hospital, where 471 patients faced corridor care in the same period.
Tim Hiles, chief operating officer at the Leeds trust, said: “We know that providing patient care in additional spaces is not acceptable, and we must continue working hard to make sure our patients receive care in the right environment.
“The safety, well-being, privacy and comfort of our patients remain our top priority.”
The use of corridors can be caused by staff shortages and delays in discharging patients from hospital wards.
Delays in ambulance crews being able to hand patients over into A&E departments can also exacerbate the problem.
New guidance issued by NHS England means hospital trusts must report a daily count of patients placed in corridor areas.
NHS bosses said they were seeking to eradicate the use of corridors for A&E patients.
In a letter to hospital trusts, they said: “We all know that corridor care is unacceptable.
“It creates an exceptionally poor experience for patients, particularly older patients and their loved ones.
“It generates low morale for our staff, and undermines the public’s confidence in the ability of the NHS to provide safe care when they need it most.”
Leeds Teaching Hospitals said its senior directors were working on plans to speed up the discharge of patients and reduce corridor care.
Mr Hiles said: “Whilst waiting for a bed, we do put in place safety measures, including a risk assessment of a patient’s condition, increasing well-being checks, providing call bells and setting up dignity screens.
“Any patient needing extra interventions or monitoring will not be placed in one of these areas.”