**Health**
### Health Secretary Yvette Cooper Targets End to ‘Corridor Care’ for Children, Unveils £140 Million Urgent Care Investment
**London, England** – Health Secretary Yvette Cooper today declared the eradication of ‘corridor care’ for children in hospitals as a paramount priority, simultaneously announcing a significant £140 million investment aimed at fortifying England’s urgent care system ahead of the anticipated winter surge.
The directive underscores a concerted effort to enhance patient dignity and safety, particularly for the most vulnerable young patients who are sometimes treated in non-clinical areas due to bed shortages.
“No child should ever be treated in a hospital corridor. It is unacceptable, undignified, and undermines the very principles of compassionate healthcare,” stated Secretary Cooper. “Ending this practice for our youngest patients is not just an ambition; it is a moral imperative and a top-level commitment.”
‘Corridor care’ refers to the practice where patients receive medical attention in hallways or other non-designated clinical spaces, often due to overwhelming demand for beds. For children, this situation presents unique challenges regarding privacy, comfort, and the ability to deliver focused, specialized care without interruption.
In parallel with this critical commitment, the £140 million funding package is designed to bolster the urgent and emergency care infrastructure across England. This substantial investment is strategically timed to help hospitals and ambulance services prepare for the typically increased pressures seen during the colder months. The funds are expected to facilitate improvements in patient flow, reduce waiting times, and enhance overall capacity within the system.
The investment will be distributed across various urgent care providers, aiming to support initiatives such as:
* Increasing bed capacity in acute and community settings.
* Boosting staffing levels, particularly in emergency departments and ambulance services.
* Implementing new technologies and pathways to streamline patient assessments and discharges.
* Expanding virtual wards and other community-based care models to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.
Secretary Cooper emphasized that these measures are crucial for ensuring the National Health Service (NHS) is robustly prepared to meet patient needs during winter, mitigating the risk of overcrowded emergency departments and the very practices like ‘corridor care’ that the government is committed to ending.
“This £140 million investment is a vital injection of resources into our urgent care system, designed to equip our frontline staff with the tools and capacity they need to deliver timely and effective care,” Cooper added. “By planning ahead and investing now, we aim to alleviate pressures, protect our most vulnerable, and ensure that every patient, especially every child, receives the care they deserve in an appropriate setting.”
The announcement signals a clear strategic focus on improving both the immediate operational resilience of the NHS and the fundamental standards of patient care, with a particular emphasis on safeguarding the well-being of children.
