Trust’s corridor care death sparks CQC concerns

Vulnerable patients at a struggling A&E died or needed intensive care after their needs “were not met” while being cared for in corridors and waiting areas, inspectors have warned after an unannounced inspection.

The Care Quality Commission has raised concerns about how some of the “most vulnerable patients” were being treated in temporary escalation spaces at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, according to a document published in board papers this month.

NHSE has said systems should “consider reporting the number of patients” in temporary escalation spaces, which include corridors or makeshift wards. Its guidance followed the broadcast of a Channel 4 documentary that included scenes of patients being neglected in corridors in the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Published CQC reports have since raised concerns about corridor care, but senior figures told HSJ the findings at the Royal Cornwall were among the most severe of this kind.

The inspectors said one 96-year-old woman in a temporary escalation space died following a fall and staff “were unaware of the risk of falls due to lack of verbal handover”.

Another patient “with a history of delirium” suffered a fractured collarbone from a fall in the same area of the hospital.

In another case, an incontinent patient was transferred to a “fit to sit” area but by the end of the day “had deteriorated and was in intensive care”.

The CQC’s letter said: “We were concerned the most vulnerable patients were not having their needs met when cared for in a temporary escalation space.

“We weren’t assured that every ward is accounting for additional patients in the temporary escalation areas in terms of staffing numbers and skill mix.”

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Source: HSJ, 13 May 2025

Further reading on the hub:

• Corridor care: are the health and safety risks being addressed?
• The crisis of corridor care in the NHS: patient safety concerns and incident reporting
• A nurse's response to the NHSE guidance on their principles for providing safe and good quality care in temporary escalation spaces