NHS hospital posts job ads for 'corridor nurse' amid 'significant pressure in urgent and emergency care'
12 January 2025, 16:15
A hospital in north London has advertised for a corridor nurse amid a surge in admissions as the NHS battles with a deepening winter crisis.
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Spaces in hospitals are running low this winter as the health service grapples with surging pressure amid a rise in cases of flu and other seasonal illnesses.
Some hospitals have become so overwhelmed that they have been forced to put patients in corridors due to running out of space in rooms.
Now, the Whittington Hospital in Archway, North London, has posted adverts calling for nurses to take on 12-hour “corridor care” shifts, according to The Sunday Times.
The Whittington Health NHS Trust, which oversees the hospital, said in a statement it has faced "very significant pressure in urgent and emergency care".
Read more: UK set for the 'coldest night' of winter as temperatures plummet as low as -20C
It said: "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.
"We have worked with partners across the health and care system to request mutual aid at times of worst pressures, to alleviate the impact and ensure patients get care as quickly and safely as possible this winter.
"We apologise to any patient whose care has not met our usual high standards due to the exceptional level of demand and are grateful to all of our hardworking staff for their commitment during this period of extraordinary pressure."
It comes as multiple critical incidents have been declared across a number of UK hospitals as many services struggle under a perfect storm of cold weather, respiratory conditions, flu, Covid-19, and norovirus.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting told LBC earlier this week he is "distressed and ashamed" about what patients are going through as six hospitals have declared critical incidents in their A&Es.
He told Shelagh Fogarty he is determined to "save the NHS that saved my life and to build the national care service this country deserves".
He also stated that if the government doesn’t achieve their "ambitious" targets for the NHS it’s "my head on the chopping block".
A critical incident indicates a hospital or service is no longer able to function properly. This status can be declared as a result of exceptional demand or even a significant staffing issue.
During a critical incident hospitals can implement special measures such as prioritizing urgent care to ensure patient safety.
Warnings have been issued in Plymouth, Hampshire, Birmingham and on Merseyside and some patients have had to wait up to 50 hours to be seen.
