Featured image: A nurse is walking away from the viewer down a long corridor in a hospital. AI-generated image; not a photograph of the reported event.
Dr Fiona Hunter, vice chair of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, has said emergency departments are providing ‘unsafe’ levels of care as winter approaches. Source: bbc.co.uk.
Corridor Care and Patient Delays
She reported that some patients are spending a significant amount of time on trolleys in hospital corridors.
These trolleys, designed for up to four hours of use, are being kept for longer than intended in some departments.
Dr Hunter described this as a ‘toxic normalisation’ of corridor care, which she says can lead to patient deaths.
Staff Burnout and System Overload
Emergency departments are ‘stacked with ambulances’ outside hospital entrances.
Staff are being asked to manage what amounts to a ward’s worth of extra patients, with no corresponding increase in staff.
She noted that departments across the UK are operating at a high level of capacity without sufficient staffing.
This has led to high rates of sickness and burnout among emergency staff.
Delayed Discharges and System Flow
Dr Hunter said a significant number of patients are experiencing delayed discharge each month.
She stressed that freeing up a portion of these patients would improve system flow and reduce overcrowding.
She added that staff are unable to isolate sick patients due to insufficient waiting room space.
Government Response and Public Messaging
Health Secretary Angela Constance said the winter will be difficult but rejected corridor care as unacceptable.
She emphasized the need to reduce avoidable hospital admissions through public messaging.
Constance said the government supports better flow through hospitals but acknowledged a lack of current statistics on corridor care.
She called for a shift in how winter preparedness is managed, advocating a ‘year-round’ approach.
Challenges in Social Care and Funding
Councillor Paul Kelly, Cosla’s health and social care spokesman, said delayed discharges and community care delays are significant problems.
He noted that health and social care partnerships face a substantial budget gap.
He argued that urgent investment is needed to support people in the community and reduce hospital stays.
What the Doctor Wants
Dr Hunter said she does not want to scare patients from coming to emergency departments.
But she warned that current conditions mean safe care is not being delivered.
She emphasized that emergency staff are being asked to manage far more patients than the system can support.
What to Watch Next
As winter approaches, the Scottish government will need to respond to growing concerns over emergency care capacity.
Public messaging about when to seek care and how to access services will be critical.
Investment in both hospital and community care remains a key priority.
Source: BBC News
- Dr Fiona Hunter, Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, raised concerns about unsafe care in emergency departments.
- Patients are spending a significant amount of time on trolleys in corridors, far beyond intended use.
- Staff burnout and system overload are widespread, with departments operating at a high level of capacity.
- Health Secretary Angela Constance acknowledged the winter will be difficult and rejected corridor care as acceptable.
- There is a substantial budget gap in health and social care partnerships.
For more on NHS challenges in Scotland, see the original BBC report.
