Last week, Whittington Hospital in North London issued a concerning advertisement seeking temporary nurses for "corridor care" due to a dramatic rise in flu cases.
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Flut-hit NHS hospitals are advertising for "corridor nurses" to look after patients stuck in busy hallways amid "unprecedented" demand for hospital beds.
Last week, Whittington Hospital in North London issued a concerning advertisement seeking temporary nurses for 12-hour "corridor care" shifts. This announcement follows the hospital's statement regarding the “extremely high demand” they are facing in their urgent and emergency care services, according to The Sunday Times.
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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"We have collaborated with various partners in the health and care sector to seek mutual support during peak pressure periods, aiming to reduce the impact and guarantee that patients receive care promptly and safely throughout this winter."
"We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to our dedicated staff for their unwavering commitment during this time of exceptional strain. We also extend our sincerest apologies to any patient whose care may have fallen short of our usual high standards due to the unprecedented level of demand."
Professor Nicola Ranger, the head of the Royal College of Nursing, has condemned the move, describing the plea as "desperate" and a "violation of patient safety and dignity."
She cautioned that hiring "corridor" nurses was making substandard and unsafe care seem acceptable. A nurse, who preferred to remain anonymous, is employed at a hospital in north London and mentioned that patients are unable to summon assistance since there are no call bells available 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."
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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.
A representative from NHS England stated: "The NHS is experiencing an extraordinary surge in service demand. However, we firmly believe that providing care to patients in makeshift environments is unacceptable and should never be regarded as the norm."
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, the director of emergency care at NHS England, commented: “It's premature to conclude that it has definitely reached its peak. I am optimistic that we will see a peak within the next one to two weeks.”
