Northern Ireland

Charity calls corridor care for end-of-life patients ‘heartbreaking’

Following testimony from nurses across the UK, Christine Irvine from Marie Curie said it was ‘appalling’ that palliative care patients ended up in hospital corridors

Patients are being treated in hospital corridors due to a lack of beds, the RCN’s report found
This week, the Royal College of Nursing said a growing reliance on treating patients in hospital corridors was having a devastating impact. (PA/PA)
By Allan Preston

A palliative care charity has said it is “heartbreaking” that so many patients at the end of their life are treated in hospital corridors.

In a letter to The Irish News, Marie Curie’s senior policy manager in Northern Ireland – Christine Irvine - reflected on the testimony of nurses this week in Northern Ireland and across the UK in a report on corridor care.

The Royal College of Nursing described how patients were dying in hospital corridors, sometimes undiscovered for hours, while others have no privacy or basic facilities.

“It is heartbreaking and appalling to see yet another winter period in which so many sick people here are sitting in hospital corridors and emergency department carparks,” she said.

“The harrowing stories from the Royal College of Nursing Report paints an extremely bleak picture of what is happening in hospitals both here in Northern Ireland and across the UK.

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“We know the whole health system has been under pressure for far too long with staff burnt out and our Emergency Departments are right at the sharp end.”

She said patients with life-limiting illness depended heavily on a joined-up health and social care system to help them manage their condition and enjoy the best quality of life possible until the end.

“This can’t happen when every part of the system is creaking under the strain and staff are at breaking point, the result of years of under investment in transformation to meet the growing demand for care,” she said.

“Those who suffer the most are our most vulnerable patients.“

While palliative care is supposed to be available to patients wherever they are in the system, and especially during a crisis, Ms Irvine said an emergency department was often inappropriate and “where they least want to be.”

“We can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results - our Health and Social Care workforce need change to happen, and above all our end-of-life patients deserve compassionate care, dignity, and respect in the time they have left.”

Patients wait on beds in a hospital corridor. PICURE: JOE GIDDENS/PA
Patients wait on beds in a hospital corridor. PICURE: JOE GIDDENS/PA (Joe Giddens)

Last month, shortages around palliative care came into focus as Westminster passed the first stage of legislation on assisted dying – but opponents argued that it was more important to address the current pressures with end-of-life care.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland’s draft health budget has been under scrutiny this week – with the Health Minister Mike Nesbitt stating he is facing a £400m shortfall which would not allow him to properly address waiting lists or improve system flow which would allow more medically fit patients to be discharged from hospitals into community care.