Number of people receiving corridor care at Lancashire Teaching Hospital Trust last month revealed
New data on the number of patients receiving corridoor care in Lancashire is out...
The number of patients receiving care in corridors last month at the trust which oversees Royal Preston Hospital and Chorley and South Ribble Hospital has been revealed.
According to latest figures from NHS England, an average of 24 patients received corridor care at Lancashire Teaching Hospital Trust’s emergency department each day of May.
Corridor care is defined by NHS England as treatment that does not take place in a clinically appropriate and safe setting, such as in a busy A&E department.
For a setting to be deemed ‘appropriate’ it must include at-bed services like oxygen and call bells.
The privacy of patients must also be maintained and they should have access to food, water and toilets.
Lights should also be turned off and noise levels must be low enough to allow the patient to sleep.
If treatment does not meet any one of these criteria, is it classed as corridor care.
It is the first time figures for corridor care have been published by NHS England.
Two sets of data have been released, showing corridor care in hospital emergency departments and also in hospital wards.
The figures cover patients receiving treatment, waiting for assessment, admission or transfer, but do not include ambulance handover delays.
At Lancashire Teaching Hospital Trust, no patients received corridor care in the hospital wards in May according to the data.
A Lancashire Teaching Hospitals spokesperson said: “We would like to apologise to all patients who have been cared for on our corridors at any time. This is not what our local communities deserve, nor our colleagues who strive to deliver the best care possible each and every day.
“The Trust is working across the organisation and with partners to put an end to corridor care and have a comprehensive plan in place to tackle this.
“An example is our Days Kept Away from Home initiative which helps to cohort patients who are fit for discharge to free up speciality beds across our wards and improve flow. By doing this, it ensures that patients receive the right care, from the right teams, in the right setting, while reducing crowding within Emergency Departments and supporting improved flow through our hospitals.”
The figures at Lancashire Teaching Hospital Trust place it as the third worst trust in the county for corridoor care in emergency departments in May, but the best for corridor care in hospital wards.
The picture at all the listed Lancashire trusts are as follows:
– Patients receiving corridor care in emergency departments each day in May:
- East Lancashire Hospitals 62 (2.8%)
- University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay 40 (1.8%)
- Lancashire Teaching Hospitals 24 (1.1%)
- Blackpool Teaching Hospital 9 (0.4%)
– Patients receiving corridor care in hospital wards each day in May:
- East Lancashire Hospitals 31 (4.6%)
- Blackpool Teaching Hospitals 4 (0.6%)
- University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay 1 (0.1%)
- Lancashire Teaching Hospitals 0
The issue of corridor care is one which is being targeted by authorities, with NHS leaders in North West Trusts with the highest levels of corridor care receiving specialised and tailored support as part of plans to eradicate corridor care by the end of this Parliament.
Dr Michael Gregory, Regional Medical Director for NHS England in the North West: “Corridor care is not acceptable and that is why in the North West we’re backing trusts with tailored clinical support through GIRFT and expanding urgent care capacity so more people can be treated quickly in the right place.
“These changes, alongside a relentless focus on discharge, flow and early senior clinical decision-making, are already helping cut long waits, and we will keep working with local partners to deliver safer, more dignified care for everyone.”