Full Breakdown
Scotland’s NHS Faces “Toxic Normalisation” of Corridor Care Ahead of Winter
By Drooid · · How we work
Escalating Emergency Department Strain
Dr Fiona Hunter, vice-chair of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, warned that the coming winter will place “completely terrifying” pressure on an already overstretched health system. She described the current state of accident-and-emergency (A&E) services as “unsafe,” noting that patients are sometimes forced to remain on trolleys in hospital corridors for up to 72 hours. Hunter said this prolonged corridor care has become a “toxic normalisation” that can increase the risk of patient deaths.
Government Acknowledgement and Planned Measures
Scotland’s Health Secretary Angela Constance, who announced a winter-ready strategy in August, labelled corridor care “unacceptable.” She acknowledged that the season will be “difficult” and pledged to eradicate the practice. Constance outlined three priorities: reducing avoidable admissions through “robust” public messaging, improving data collection on corridor usage, and shifting winter preparedness from a seasonal sprint to a year-round effort.
Implications for Patient Safety and System Capacity
If the projected surge in demand materialises, the continued reliance on corridor spaces could further compromise care quality and safety. Extended trolley stays limit clinicians’ ability to monitor patients effectively, potentially leading to delayed treatment and higher mortality risk. The lack of comprehensive statistics on corridor usage hampers targeted interventions, making it harder for policymakers to gauge the scale of the problem.
Outlook and Immediate Challenges
The health system must address both the immediate staffing and bed-capacity shortfalls and the longer-term cultural shift away from accepting corridor care as routine. Without rapid improvements in admission triage, public health messaging, and data transparency, winter could see a deepening of unsafe emergency conditions across Scotland’s hospitals.