Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to reduce instances of hospital corridor care in a) England and b) Romford constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise that the provision of clinical care in corridors or other non-designated clinical areas is unacceptable and we are committed to eradicating it from our National Health Service.
Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This includes a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.
NHS England has been working with trusts to put in place new reporting arrangements regarding the use of corridor care to drive improvement and data transparency. The data quality is currently being reviewed, and we expect to publish the information shortly.
We are also introducing new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care, setting clear expectations for timely reviews and specialist input, further supporting our efforts to eliminate corridor care and improve patient experience.
In December, NHS England published updated guidance on providing care in corridors to support trusts with making decisions on corridor care transparently, with clear governance and oversight to reduce impacts on patients and staff and to ensure the safety and dignity of patients.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS patients have been treated in hospital corridors in each year since 2010 in a) England and b) Romford constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise that the provision of clinical care in corridors or other non-designated clinical areas is unacceptable and we are committed to eradicating it from our National Health Service.
Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This includes a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.
NHS England has been working with trusts to put in place new reporting arrangements regarding the use of corridor care to drive improvement and data transparency. The data quality is currently being reviewed, and we expect to publish the information shortly.
We are also introducing new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care, setting clear expectations for timely reviews and specialist input, further supporting our efforts to eliminate corridor care and improve patient experience.
In December, NHS England published updated guidance on providing care in corridors to support trusts with making decisions on corridor care transparently, with clear governance and oversight to reduce impacts on patients and staff and to ensure the safety and dignity of patients.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of complaints received by NHS Trusts relating to end of life care priorities in hospitals; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) compliance by hospitals with established end of life care priorities and (b) communication with family members and next of kin regarding end of life care decisions.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold central estimates of the number of complaints National Health Service trusts receive specifically relating to end‑of‑life care priorities in hospitals. Complaints are managed locally by NHS organisations in line with the Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009, NHS Complaint Standards (2022), and Health and Care Act 2022, which set out the requirements for handling complaints in all NHS bodies. Anyone can raise concerns about NHS care, and trusts must investigate these in accordance with the regulations.
NHS England sets out clear expectations for high‑quality end‑of‑life care through statutory guidance and service specifications for integrated care boards (ICBs) on commissioning palliative care and end‑of‑life care services. Compliance with established end‑of‑life care priorities is monitored through existing assurance mechanisms. The Care Quality Commission assesses whether trusts have effective systems in place to recognise deterioration, safeguard vulnerable adults, and provide safe, compassionate care at the end of life. NHS England also annually assesses ICBs on how well they discharge their statutory functions, including commissioning high‑quality palliative care and end‑of‑life care.
We recognise that high-quality palliative care and end-of-life care should include the opportunity for individuals to discuss their wishes and preferences so that these can be taken fully into account in the provision of their future care, also known as advance care planning (ACP).
NHS England has published Universal Principles for Advance Care Planning. These principles facilitate a consistent national approach to ACP in England. The principles focus on the importance of providing opportunities for a person and their family or carers to engage in meaningful discussions, led by the person concerned, which consider that person’s priorities and preferences, including place of care, when they are nearing the end of life.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the dismissal of the executive medical director at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, what oversight they are exercising to ensure that there is not a culture of suppressing clinical concerns regarding patient safety and staffing pressures.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have noted the findings of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) inspection report of 28 March 2024 into the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which rated the trust overall as ‘Requires Improvement’, with specific concerns identified in areas such as freedom to speak up. National Health Service staff should have the confidence to speak out and come forward if they have concerns. There is support in place for staff who wish to raise concerns, including a network of more than 1,200 local Freedom to Speak Up Guardians across healthcare in England, whose role is to help and support NHS workers.
On the question of oversight, the CQC has maintained close and sustained regulatory oversight of the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in light of ongoing concerns about service quality and safety. This has included targeted inspections, staff engagement work, and structured monitoring activity. In response to identified risks within urgent and emergency care at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, the CQC undertook an assessment in December 2025, followed by a further inspection on 6 January 2026. Significant risks were identified during this period, and the CQC subsequently issued a Letter of Intent to the trust. The CQC has continued to work collaboratively with NHS England, participating in monthly quality improvement meetings to monitor the trust’s progress against its action plans.
The CQC will continue to use its statutory powers to ensure that services meet the required standards of quality and safety.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Care Quality Commission report published on 28 March 2024 into the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; and what steps they are taking to ensure that NHS whistleblowers in Doncaster are protected from professional detriment.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have noted the findings of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) inspection report of 28 March 2024 into the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which rated the trust overall as ‘Requires Improvement’, with specific concerns identified in areas such as freedom to speak up. National Health Service staff should have the confidence to speak out and come forward if they have concerns. There is support in place for staff who wish to raise concerns, including a network of more than 1,200 local Freedom to Speak Up Guardians across healthcare in England, whose role is to help and support NHS workers.
On the question of oversight, the CQC has maintained close and sustained regulatory oversight of the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in light of ongoing concerns about service quality and safety. This has included targeted inspections, staff engagement work, and structured monitoring activity. In response to identified risks within urgent and emergency care at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, the CQC undertook an assessment in December 2025, followed by a further inspection on 6 January 2026. Significant risks were identified during this period, and the CQC subsequently issued a Letter of Intent to the trust. The CQC has continued to work collaboratively with NHS England, participating in monthly quality improvement meetings to monitor the trust’s progress against its action plans.
The CQC will continue to use its statutory powers to ensure that services meet the required standards of quality and safety.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients are being treated in temporary hospital environments, including corridors, for which the latest data is available.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise that the provision of clinical care in corridors or other non-designated clinical areas is unacceptable and are committed to eradicating it from our National Health Service.
Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This includes a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.
NHS England has been working with trusts to put in place new reporting arrangements regarding the use of corridor care to drive improvement and data transparency. The data quality is currently being reviewed, and we expect to publish the information shortly.
We are also introducing new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care, setting clear expectations for timely reviews and specialist input, further supporting our efforts to eliminate corridor care and improve patient experience.
In December, NHS England published updated guidance on providing care in corridors to support trusts with making decisions on corridor care transparently, with clear governance and oversight to reduce impacts on patients and staff and to ensure the safety and dignity of patients.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve dementia care in hospitals.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We want a society where every person with dementia, and their families and carers, receive high-quality, compassionate care, from diagnosis through to end of life.
That is why the Government is committed to improving dementia care and is empowering local leaders with the autonomy they need to provide the best services to their local community, including those with dementia.
We have published the D100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme, which brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool. This will help simplify best practice for system leaders and will help create communities and services where the best possible care and support is available to those with dementia. The tool can be found at the following link:
We will also deliver the first ever Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, which is expected this year.
The Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia, it will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether appointments cancelled by hospitals or other NHS authorities appear in statistics as completed appointments.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Appointments cancelled by hospitals or other National Health Service authorities do not appear in statistics as completed appointments. For admitted patients, the Department does not hold data on the cause of cancellations or where patients did not attend their operation.
Data on the number of last-minute cancelled operations is published by NHS England. Last minute means on the day the patient was due to arrive, after the patient has arrived in hospital or on the day of the operation or surgery. It does not include cancelled operations before the day of the operation. Data is available by year and quarter and includes the number of cancellations and the percentage these represent of total elective admissions. This is available at the following link, within the ‘Time Series’ report:
For outpatient appointments, data on cancellations and patients that did not attend their appointment is published by NHS England. Data is available by year and includes the number of cancellations, whether these were hospital or patient cancellations, and the percentage these represent of total elective admissions. This is available on the following link, within "Hospital Outpatient Activity, 2024-25: Report Tables":
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment he has made of accident and emergency performance at (a) Basildon Hospital, (b) other hospitals within Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust and (c) other national trusts.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government acknowledges that urgent and emergency care performance has not consistently met expectations in recent years. The Government is committed to restoring urgent and emergency care waiting times to the standards set out in the NHS Constitution by the end of this Parliament, as laid out in our 10-Year Health Plan.
NHS England publishes monthly data on the proportion of patients seen, admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours in accident and emergency departments. The following table shows the latest figures as of November 2025 for the four-hour performance rates for Basildon Hospital, other hospitals within the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, and the national rate:
Month | Area | Percentage of total accident and emergency type 1 and 2 attendances admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours |
Latest provisional performance data for November 2025 | England | 61.2% |
Basildon | 54.2% | |
Mid Essex Hospital | 52.9% | |
Southend Hospital | 53.4% | |
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust | 53.6% |
Note: site level performance data is only published as type 1 and 2 performance.
Further information is available at the following link:
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set a definition of corridor care.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The provision of clinical care in corridors is unacceptable, and we are committed to ending its practice in the National Health Service. Furthermore, our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 commits to publishing data on the prevalence of corridor care for the first time.
A definition of corridor care is being agreed and will be published once finalised. NHS England has been working with trusts to put in place new reporting arrangements regarding the use of corridor care to drive improvement and data transparency. The data quality is currently being reviewed, and we expect to publish the information shortly.
We are also introducing new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care, setting clear expectations for timely reviews and specialist input, further supporting our efforts to eliminate corridor care and improve patient experience.