CORRIDOR care is a “crisis in plain sight” with elderly patients watching others die while themselves waiting to be helped for days on end, a leading charity warned today.

A patient gave a first-hand account likening hospital corridor care to war films with “queues of stretchers and people suffering” in a new report by Age UK.

The charity raised concerns that poor quality care “is now almost expected” in some A&E departments.

It warned the situation could get worse as the NHS heads into winter and urged ministers to produce a plan to end long A&E waits and corridor care, with specific deadlines and milestones.

Royal College of Nursing general secretary Professor Nicola Ranger said: “Corridor care is a moral stain on our health service and this report is yet more evidence of its devastating consequences. 

“The reality is nursing staff and patients are being set up to fail by a system that simply isn’t working.”

National Pensioners’ Convention general secretary Jan Shortt said: “Dignity and respect goes out the window when older and vulnerable people are shunted into corridors, rooms off corridors or any small space staff can find.

“It is time this government took a critical look at what is wrong with this system and support NHS staff to deliver the quality of care they desperately want to give, to those who need it.”

Health Minister Karin Smyth said: “To give patients the care they deserve, we’re investing £450 million to build same day urgent and emergency care centres, buying 500 new ambulances, building 40 new mental health crisis centres, and giving NHS leaders on the ground more power to deliver local solutions.”