The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) has initiated an inquiry into corridor care in NHS hospitals in England, following a campaign by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
An official investigation into corridor care in NHS hospitals in England has been launched by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB), following sustained campaigning by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). The investigation will focus on the use of temporary care environments, such as hospital corridors, for patient treatment. HSSIB plans to consult with staff, patients, and families to understand the extent and impact of this practice. A report detailing the findings is expected to be submitted to the Westminster government in December 2025.
Corridor care: “A systematic failure”
In early 2025, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) published a landmark report on corridor care, which revealed the harrowing accounts of unsafe treatment being delivered in inappropriate places in hospitals.
Now, the RCN calls for mandatory national reporting on corridor care – a commitment NHS England has made but not delivered. The HSSIB investigation will shed light on the scale and consequences of corridor care.
The HSSIB plans to speak to staff, patients, and families, to understand:
- How, where, and when temporary care environments are being used
- The needs of patients using temporary care environments, including those from vulnerable patient groups, and the associated patient safety issues
- The impact of temporary care environments on patients and staff, and how organisations are managing the associated patient safety issues.
The RCN outlines that for meaningful progress to be made in eradicating corridor care, demand within the acute sector must be carefully managed and reduced. This will require an increase in patient capacity in the right places; challenges addressed in primary and social care; and the ambition to move care into the community – a key aspect of the NHS 10-Year Health Plan – must be prioritised and adequately funded. Additionally, access to nursing resources in primary and social care can help people stay healthier for longer, thereby avoiding lengthy hospital admissions.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said: “This is testament to the bravery of thousands of nursing staff who spoke out about a devastating collapse in care standards. No patient should languish in a corridor, a chair, or be forced to endure intimate examinations in public areas. This investigation must shed more light on the scale and impact of these shocking conditions, marking the beginning of the end for this unacceptable practice.
“We will be encouraging nursing staff to take part in the investigation and share their experiences. But we are clear that ministers shouldn’t wait for this investigation to conclude before taking action to eradicate corridor care. That includes publishing national-level data on the true extent of the issue, which the government still fails to do.
“With the support of health leaders and ministers, this investigation could be a significant moment for patient safety. Alongside new investment to bolster the nursing workforce, there is hope that we can transform patient care.”
What does corridor care look like across the UK?
The HSSIB investigation applies only to England, but corridor care is a problem across the entire UK. Patients in hospitals nationwide are facing a crisis, while medical professionals are being placed in increasingly impossible situations.
In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health has committed to recording and reporting on corridor care from June 2025. RCN Northern Ireland is also building a coalition of groups and individuals that share our ambition of eradicating corridor care.
In Scotland, the RCN has worked with Healthcare Improvement Scotland to report on corridor care.
In Wales, campaigning to end corridor care is underway, including a petition for this topic to be considered for debate in the Senedd.
