As reported by the BBC, more than 52,000 people across north-west England spent over 24 hours waiting for a hospital bed last year, according to a BBC investigation
NHS England said services are facing the most pressured winter in their history, with hospitals dealing with sustained increases in demand over a number of years.
The prolonged waits, often referred to as corridor care, mean patients admitted through A&E are left on trolleys or seated in corridors and waiting rooms because wards have no available beds.
In December 2018, only 101 patients in the region waited more than 12 hours after the decision to admit them, representing 0.2% of admissions. Most of those delays were attributed to issues within a single mental health trust.
By December 2025, that figure had surged to 10,658 patients, accounting for almost 18% of people admitted from A&E.
This means close to one in five patients endured extended periods in corridors, bays or waiting areas, often without clarity about when they would be moved to a ward.
In January, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the government plans to eliminate corridor care before the end of the current parliament in 2029.
The Royal College of Nursing has described the situation as a national emergency and urged ministers to take decisive action to stop the practice.
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