SDLP Opposition MLA Mark H Durkan has said that ‘corridor care’ cannot be allowed to become the norm in hospitals.
He was speaking after a report from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) on the prevalence of corridor care across Britain and Northern Ireland.
It found that some patients are dying in corridors.
Said the Foyle MLA: “As distressing as this report and the harrowing testimony of nurses is, it sadly reinforces what we already know.
“If you visit any of the North’s hospitals you will likely see patients being treated on beds or chairs in corridors or side rooms in both emergency departments and on wards.
“This is yet another symptom of our collapsing health system.
“The anguish and sense of despondency is clear from the nurses who responded to this report.
“They are trying to do the best they can for patients in the most difficult of circumstances and it’s taking a real toll on them.
“This practice totally strips patients of their dignity, nobody who is seriously ill should be left lying in a hospital corridor and to think of someone spending their last moments in these circumstances is unconscionable.
“Due to the pressures on our health service corridor care has become accepted as part of life in our hospitals and that’s not right.
“This is yet another example of the failure to implement proper workforce planning, recruit the staff we need and transform our health service so that everyone can get the care they need in a dignified manner.
“While this report shows corridor care is a problem across these islands, I fear the situation in the North may be even worse than detailed, given the huge challenges facing our health service and staff.”
