North Devon MP calls for an ‘end to corridor care’ in local hospitals

North Devon’s MP has called for an end to patients waiting in corridors by the end of this Parliament after new data found 475 patients had to wait on trolleys in the region’s hospitals during the winter period.

The numbers apply to all Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust hospitals, which covers the region’s two main hospitals at North Devon District Hospital and the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

The research by the House of Commons Library found the 475 incidents of waiting 12 hours or longer was an almost 32% increase on last winter’s figure of 360, a jump of 115.

North Devon MP Ian Roome has warned that without urgent investment, issues such long trolley waits and corridor care are an ever-growing concern.

He praised the staff at both hospitals but said they urgently needed the right support and funding.

The trust told the Gazette it was aiming to deliver major improvements later this year by expanding its ‘same day emergency care’ (SDEC) services at both hospitals.

North Devon’s hospital is already struggling with ageing infrastructure and the government’s intention to delay upgrading it by a decade will pose a severe risk of service disruption. Mr Roome said this alongside long trolley waits are signs of a system at breaking point and that the NHS staff urgently need the necessary resources and support.

He said: “Having worked there myself, I know first-hand how incredibly hard-working and dedicated the NHS staff at our local hospital are. They go above and beyond every day, but they urgently need the right support, resources, and investment to deliver the level of care patients deserve.”

“Over the winter I heard countless harrowing stories of people suffering through endless waits in A&E, with truly horrific consequences. We should not accept that this has become the new normal after years of shameful Conservative neglect. We must make sure that no one has to suffer through the indignity of corridor care ever again.

“For the Labour government to bury their heads in the sand and carry on as if this is ok would be a complete dereliction of duty.”

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a taskforce which would ‘winter proof’ the NHS. It would be backed by a £1.5 billion ring-fenced fund to ensure hospitals can prepare for the surge in patients before it happens.

A statement on behalf of the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are grateful to Mr Roome for highlighting the importance of securing critical national funding to develop our services in Northern Devon. 

“We know some patients are still waiting longer than we would like in our Emergency Departments, this is an important area of focus for us and something we are working hard to improve.

“We have developed plans to expand our ‘same day emergency care’ services on both our Exeter and Barnstaple sites, which will deliver significant improvements later in 2025.”