Wes Streeting praises end to beds in corridor at Queen's

During a recent visit to Queen’s Hospital, Mr Streeting saw first-hand how changes to emergency care have cut corridor care by 10,000 hours.

The number of hours patients were cared for in corridors fell from more than 24,000 hours in February 2025 to less than 14,000 hours in February 2026.

During his visit, Mr Streeting spoke with patients, including 85-year-old Victor Shafier, who was waiting for a blood transfusion and praised "the wonderful staff."

Kenneth Hall, 91, who was being cared for in the hospital’s frailty SDEC, said: "I came in by ambulance, and it was straight through. It has been very calm and collected and I’ve even enjoyed the food."

Queen’s Hospital, which was designed in 2006 for just over 300 daily patients, now routinely sees double that number.

Corridor care has been a persistent issue since 2023.

Mr Streeting said: "It was bed central throughout the last year, absolutely packed with beds. It’s dramatic when you see the difference.

"Against the backdrop of record demand for A&E services at Queen’s the team here are showing you can provide the right care in the right place at the right time and end reliance on corridor care.

"That’s the aim right across the NHS, so we’re going to take the best of the NHS we’re seeing today to the rest of the NHS and do our best to consign corridor care to history."

In January 2025, the hospital trust launched a campaign to secure £42 million in funding to redesign the emergency department.

Fiona Wheeler, deputy chief executive and chief operating officer at the trust, said: "We provided 10,000 fewer hours of corridor care in February, compared with the same month the year before. This was a great opportunity to show Wes Streeting the changes we’ve made to improve patient care in our A&E at Queen’s hospital.

"Despite these improvements, the department isn’t fit for purpose, which is why we’re campaigning for the £42m we need to transform it for patients and staff."