In recent months, reports of NHS hospitals issuing apology leaflets to A&E patients treated in corridors have highlighted a troubling reality within emergency care. What was once described as a short-term response to winter pressures has increasingly become a routine practice – one that raises serious questions about patient safety, dignity, and legal accountability.
For patients harmed while receiving care in these conditions, an apology leaflet may be an acknowledgement. It is not redress.
Corridor Care Has Become Systemic
Several NHS trusts have publicly acknowledged that patients are being cared for on trolleys in corridors due to overcrowding and bed shortages. At Royal United Hospitals Bath, patients waiting in A&E corridors have reportedly been handed leaflets apologising for the situation and assuring them that staff are doing their best under extreme pressure.
While such leaflets are intended to demonstrate transparency and compassion, they may also amount to written confirmation that care is being delivered in circumstances below normal clinical standards.
From a legal perspective, this matters.
When an Apology Signals Substandard Care
Under the NHS Duty of Candour, healthcare providers are required to be open and honest when something goes wrong. The issuing of apology leaflets for corridor care strongly suggests that trusts themselves recognise that:
- Patients are not being treated in appropriate clinical environments
- Privacy and dignity are compromised
- Standard monitoring and escalation procedures may be harder to maintain
If a patient suffers avoidable harm while receiving care in a corridor – such as delayed diagnosis, missed deterioration, falls, pressure sores, or medication errors – the conditions themselves may form part of a clinical negligence claim.
An apology does not remove legal responsibility.
The Emergence of “Corridor Care” Nursing
Perhaps most striking is the fact that some NHS trusts have actively recruited nurses specifically to care for patients in corridors due to overwhelming demand. Whittington Health NHS Trust in north London publicly advertised bank nursing shifts for “corridor care” in A&E, acknowledging that this was a response to sustained overcrowding.
This development has been widely reported and criticised by professional bodies, including the Royal College of Nursing, as evidence that an emergency workaround has become normalised.
From a medico-legal standpoint, the recruitment of corridor-specific staff may be used as evidence that:
- The trust was aware of unsafe or suboptimal conditions
- Corridor care was foreseeable and ongoing, rather than exceptional
- Risks associated with these environments were known but not eliminated
Common Risks Associated with Corridor Care
Patients treated in corridors or other makeshift areas may be exposed to increased risk of harm, including:
- Delayed treatment or diagnosis due to lack of access to equipment or clinical space
- Failure to monitor deterioration, particularly in elderly or acutely unwell patients
- Increased risk of infection due to inappropriate clinical environments
- Loss of dignity and confidentiality, including sensitive conversations held in public areas
- Increased risk of falls and pressure injuries
Where harm occurs and could reasonably have been avoided in a suitable clinical setting, legal liability may arise.
Apologies Do Not Prevent Claims
It is important for patients to understand that accepting an apology does not prevent them from pursuing a clinical negligence claim. NHS apologies – whether verbal, written, or in leaflet form – are not admissions of legal liability. However, they may still form relevant evidence when assessing whether care fell below an acceptable standard.
Courts and medical experts will consider the full context, including:
- The environment in which care was delivered
- Staffing levels and supervision
- Whether reasonable steps were taken to mitigate known risks
Supporting Patients When Systems Fail
For clinical negligence solicitors, these developments reinforce the importance of scrutinising not only individual clinical decisions, but also systemic failures. Corridor care is not merely uncomfortable – it can be unsafe. Where patients suffer harm as a result, they are entitled to ask whether that harm was avoidable.
At times of NHS crisis, accountability matters more, not less.
If you or a family member were harmed while receiving care in an A&E corridor or other unsuitable hospital setting, our specialist clinical negligence team can help. We offer confidential, no-obligation advice on whether the care you received met acceptable standards and what options may be available to you. Call us on 0121 745 8550 to speak to a member of our team.