An elderly woman has died alone on a trolley in a hospital corridor, in a case that has exposed the extreme pressures facing a struggling NHS emergency department.
The incident occurred at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside, where staff have told of being at a breaking point and overwhelmed by patient numbers they cannot safely manage.
A System Under Unprecedented Strain
The hospital's A&E department, run by the Wirral University Teaching Hospital Trust (WUTH), is facing extremely high demand. Current attendance figures are running at 30% higher than expected for this time of year.
Daily attendances have been exceeding 330, with peaks of 370 on some days in December. This has led to a situation where patients are routinely being treated in corridors, a practice that has become commonplace but fraught with risk.
One distressed staff member recounted the events of the woman's death to the Liverpool Echo. "This woman was in the back of an ambulance and they came in, early hours of the morning and because it wasn't staffed, she died, on her own, on the corridor," they said.
They added: "She was an older lady. My colleagues were absolutely distraught. They were brokenhearted. I am surprised it has taken this long for this to happen and it is bound to happen again."
Staff Morale at an All-Time Low
The pressure on frontline workers is described as relentless and unsustainable. Staff report being expected to care for 10 to 12 patients each in corridor areas, far exceeding the safe ratio of one nurse to four patients.
"We are just overwhelmed with the number of patients," another A&E worker explained. "The numbers are so high and the skill mix we have is so poor. We have been overstretched. We can have 40-50 patients on a corridor or in escalation areas at times."
The department, built for 50-60 patients, has at times seen over 200 people inside, with more than 100 waiting for a bed. Patients have been seen sitting on the floor or lying in corridors with coats over their heads.
This environment has contributed to a catastrophic drop in morale, with many senior and qualified staff taking time off due to work-related stress. This has led to an increased reliance on newly qualified and agency staff.
"Morale is at the lowest it has ever been," an employee stated. "So many people have gone off with stress. I am just about clinging on." Staff also face regular abuse from frustrated patients facing long waits, with one nurse often left to manage a waiting room of 70-80 people alone.
Trust Response and Ongoing Challenges
In response to the crisis, hospital bosses opened a new medical ward within the A&E department. However, staff say this has only stretched exhausted teams further, as it operates more as a holding area without proper ward facilities.
The Wirral University Teaching Hospital trust stated that ensuring patient safety is its top priority and acknowledged staff are working "exceptionally hard during an extremely busy time".
A trust spokesperson confirmed the emergency department is experiencing extreme demand, leading to longer waits and corridor care, a challenge they noted is being felt across the NHS. They outlined measures taken, including opening extra beds and wards and working with partners to improve patient flow.
The trust's urgent and emergency services are currently rated as 'requires improvement' by the Care Quality Commission. Staff on the ground feel their repeated warnings, via incident forms and meetings, have not led to meaningful change.
"Patients are coming to harm, our staff are broken, our department is non-functional," one NHS worker said. "The trust needs to sort this out. That lady dying on a corridor is the last straw. Something has to change."
