Corridor care in overcrowded EDs must not become the norm

‘Trolley Tetris’ and corridor care are two practices we should do everything in our power to avoid, writes Justin Walford

Winter is in full flow in emergency departments (EDs) and the volume of patients and lack of staff made January feel as if we were in peak February already.

It appears that the most popular pastime in EDs is ‘trolley Tetris’. This is where, despite your best efforts to empty the ED and stick to the four-hour standard, it fills to overcapacity and people are cared for in corridors. Nurses, physicians and specialty staff then navigate in and out of cubicles squeezing through areas not designed for patient care.

• Related: Why the four-hour wait