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HSSIB launches investigation into the impact of ‘corridor care’ on hospital staff and patients
The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) has confirmed it will begin investigating the prevalence of patients being treated in ‘temporary care environments’, also known as ‘corridor care’. The investigation will seek to understand how,
where and when temporary care environments are used; the needs of patients using temporary care environments, including those from vulnerable patient groups; the associated patient safety issues; and the impact on patients and staff. The investigation has been launched after a
devastating report by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) earlier this year revealed harrowing accounts of staff left to deliver care in unsafe, undignified, and unacceptable conditions. The official investigation, which will be handed to government, will examine closely the impact of corridor care on patients and staff, as well as how organisations respond to issues of patient safety in these spaces. The RCN says the official investigation is
‘testament to the bravery of thousands of nursing staff who spoke out about a devastating collapse in care standards.’ Despite welcoming the investigation, the RCN maintains that government and NHS England must produce mandatory national reporting on corridor care. This was promised earlier this year but has yet to be delivered. For meaningful progress to be made to
eradicate corridor care, the RCN says patient demand must be reduced within the acute sector.
This will require investment to increase capacity elsewhere, including in the nursing workforce in community settings and social care, to help keep well for longer. RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive
Professor Nicola Ranger, said: “This is testament to the bravery of thousands of nursing staff who spoke out about a devastating collapse in care standards. No patient should languish in a corridor, a chair or be forced to endure intimate
examinations in public areas. This investigation must shed more light on the scale and impact of these shocking conditions and mark the beginning of the end for this unacceptable practice. “We will be encouraging nursing staff to
take part in the investigation and share their experiences. But we are clear that ministers shouldn’t wait for this investigation to conclude before taking action to eradicate corridor care. That includes publishing national level data on how widespread the issue really is, which the government still fails to do. With the support of health leaders and ministers, this investigation could be a significant moment for patient safety. Alongside new investment to bolster the nursing workforce, there is hope that we can transform patient care.” Rachel Power, Chief Executive of the Patients
Association, commented: “Being treated in corridors, waiting rooms or other temporary spaces is distressing for patients and their loved ones, and increases the risk of avoidable harm. Patients deserve dignity and safe care, yet they are increasingly placed in environments never designed for
treatment...This investigation is an important step in shining a light on the impact of corridor care on patients and NHS staff, and in making sure it is not seen as an acceptable or inevitable part of the system.” The HSSIB says that it expects to publish its report in December 2025.
Breakthrough treatment for bladder cancer doubles survival
More than a thousand patients living with bladder cancer every year can now receive a breakthrough treatment that can double survival rates from the disease. The treatment which has been approved for use on the NHS has been hailed as ‘one of the most hopeful advances in decades for people with bladder cancer.’ Around 1,250 patients with bladder cancer in England a year could be offered the therapy, which significantly boosts survival and remission rates. In clinical trials, people with bladder cancer that
had spread (metastasised) lived up to twice as long when given the combination antibody treatment compared to those given normal chemotherapy. The combination treatment works by using a powerful two-pronged attack, with enfortumab vedotin directly targeting the cancer cells and killing them, while pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug, helps the immune system recognise and fight the remaining cancer cells. It is given via an IV infusion
to people whose bladder cancer has spread to other parts of the body or cannot be surgically removed. Bladder cancer is difficult to treat with standard chemotherapy, with life expectancy for people with metastatic bladder cancer at just over a year. The new approach increased survival from around 1.5 years with chemotherapy to more than 2.5 years. The length of time the treatment kept the cancer at bay also more than doubled – from just over 6 months to 1.5 years. Additionally, nearly 30% of patients had no detectable traces of cancer in
their body following treatment with enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab, compared to 12.5% with chemotherapy. Patients also experienced fewer harmful side effects with the combination treatment, thanks to its selective targeting of the cancer. Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Cancer, said: “This is one of the most hopeful advances in decades for people with bladder cancer who will now be offered a treatment that can almost double their chances of survival, helping thousands to live longer and giving them more precious moments with their loved ones.
“Bladder cancer is often difficult to treat once it has spread, but this new therapy is the first one in years to really help stop the disease in its tracks, and our rollout to NHS patients will make a huge difference to the lives of those affected and their families”. Visit:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/ full/10.1056/NEJMoa2312117
October 2025 I
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