Long waits for a hospital bed in an emergency: will urgent care policies make a difference for patients?

Summary

Stories and images of large numbers of people waiting in overcrowded A&E departments are sadly not new. There has been growing concern in recent years, however, about the number of patients who are being treated in areas that are not designed for clinical care.

In this article for Nuffield Trust, Sarah Scobie and Stuti Bagri assess whether this is affecting particular groups of patients more than others, and discuss whether current policies – including a new definition for corridor care – could make a difference.