“It’s undignified”: Welsh nurses expose harrowing hospital conditions

A stark new report from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) exposes the growing use of “Corridor Care” in Welsh hospitals, where patients’ safety and dignity are routinely compromised. Staff face overwhelming pressures as a result.
Based on survey responses from nurses in Wales, the report highlights the dire consequences of treating patients in corridors, storerooms, and other unsuitable spaces.
These accounts paint a grim picture of a healthcare system struggling to cope, with staff forced to deliver care in conditions that compromise safety, dignity, and quality.
The practice of Corridor Care arises from chronic overcrowding and resource shortages in the NHS.
Described as “unsafe and undignified” by nurses, the report highlights patients left waiting on trolleys in public spaces with no privacy or access to essential medical equipment such as oxygen and resuscitation tools.
Survey responses confirm that Corridor Care now occurs daily, with nurses forced to deliver care in environments entirely unsuited to medical treatment.
One nurse described a harrowing shift in the emergency department: “I had to care for four patients in a corridor. There were no alarms, no heating—it was freezing cold.
Patients were complaining constantly. One was an elderly man who had to be moved into a procedure room for basic care. I felt awful for the patients and ashamed of the system.”
The RCN report includes numerous firsthand accounts of the emotional toll on both patients and staff.
In one particularly distressing instance, a nurse recounted changing a frail, incontinent patient by a vending machine, unable to provide even basic privacy.
Another highlighted the indignity of breaking tragic news to families in corridors, surrounded by other patients and hospital staff.
Patients themselves have expressed feelings of abandonment and frustration.
Many elderly and frail individuals spend days on trolleys without proper bedding or rest, often unable to access toilets or personal care facilities.
One nurse summarised the sentiment: “Patients are treated like tasks to be completed, not people who deserve care.”
The Toll on Staff
For healthcare professionals, the experience is demoralising and unsustainable.
Burnout, mental health struggles, and resignations are rising.
The report noted cases where nurses, overwhelmed by the impossible demands of Corridor Care, have left the NHS altogether.
A senior nurse with 30 years’ experience said: “This has become the norm. I never imagined we’d reach a point where delivering care in a corridor was acceptable. It breaks my heart to see what the NHS has become.”
System Failures
The RCN report attributes the crisis to systemic underfunding, a lack of strategic workforce planning, and inadequate social care provision.
Hospital beds are routinely blocked by patients who cannot be discharged due to insufficient community care services, creating a bottleneck that pushes emergency departments to capacity.
Patients treated in corridors face a significantly increased risk of adverse outcomes.
The absence of emergency equipment, such as oxygen or defibrillators, delays treatment during medical emergencies, while crowded conditions exacerbate infection risks.
Vulnerable patients, including those with dementia, are particularly at risk, as the noisy, chaotic environment can worsen confusion and distress.
The report paints a similarly bleak picture across the UK, but the Welsh healthcare system faces particularly acute challenges.
Nurses in Wales report having to perform intimate medical procedures in public spaces, such as hallways, due to a lack of private rooms. This compromises patient dignity and often delays critical interventions.
One account described how patients were left in wet clothes and bedding for hours because there was no available space to provide personal care.
Another nurse recalled a patient with dementia being housed in a freezing corridor for over 24 hours, with no access to call bells or oxygen.
The Call for Action
Helen Whyley, Executive Director of RCN Wales, described Corridor Care as “a symptom of a system under immense pressure.”
She called on the Welsh Government and NHS leaders to address the crisis immediately, emphasising that “every patient deserves privacy, dignity, and quality care.”
The RCN report outlines key recommendations, including:
- Increased NHS funding to expand facilities and resources.
- Workforce investment to address chronic staff shortages.
- Improved discharge planning to reduce bed-blocking and free up capacity.
- Transparent reporting on Corridor Care and its impact to ensure accountability.
A Generational Moment
Professor Nicola Ranger, General Secretary and Chief Executive of the RCN, warned that this is a “generational moment” for the NHS.
She urged bold government action, centred on investing in the nursing workforce, to prevent further deterioration of the health service.
“Corridor Care is a visible and avoidable sign of the broken system,” Prof Ranger stated. “This crisis demands immediate, sustained action to rebuild trust in the NHS and restore dignity to patient care.”
The Human Cost
The RCN report highlights the human cost of Corridor Care.
It recounts instances where critically ill patients died in corridors while awaiting treatment, or where miscommunication led to preventable errors. For the nurses involved, the psychological toll is immense.
A nurse shared: “Every time I leave a shift, I feel like I’ve failed my patients. It’s not their fault, but they suffer the consequences of a broken system. The guilt is unbearable.”
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