Health Secretary vows swift action to stop children being treated in hospital corridors

In a televised interview, Health Secretary Yvette Cooper pledged immediate measures to eliminate the practice of treating children in hospital corridors. She has instructed the chief executive of NHS England to develop urgent standards for paediatric care in A&E and to launch a plan that prioritises ending corridor care for youngsters. The government will start gathering detailed statistics on children who are placed in corridors, adding to broader data collection that began this summer.

Recent NHS data show that in September, 50,582 patients waited more than 12 hours for admission, with an average of 3,310 patients receiving corridor care each day. Cooper also called for greater emphasis on child health within the NHS and hinted that funding priorities may shift to support these initiatives. Earlier, she warned of a tougher winter for the NHS and announced a £140 million boost for urgent-care services, including new centres and ambulance upgrades.