Lib Dems call on Andy Burnham to back £1.5bn plan to end corridor care as latest A&E figures reveal A&E perma-crisis

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

NHS statistics released today [Thursday 9th July 2026] have revealed that the service had record Accident and Emergency (A&E) attendances in June 2026, and that corridor care has risen in a month (May to June) by several thousand beds.

The latest statistics have revealed that corridor care in hospital wards is worsening as we head into summer. The number has risen by 2,072 in the past month with 20,398 patients recorded as being treated in corridors in May 2026, jumping to 22,470 patients recorded in June. Emergency departments saw a rise of 3,451 instances, with 69,504 instances of corridor care recorded in May 2026, increasing to 72,955 instances in June 2026.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a £1.5bn plan to end 12-hour A&E waits within a year and tackle the scandal of patients being treated in hospital corridors. The party has called for a legal right for patients to be admitted to A&E within 12 hours and for the creation of a statutory duty for ministers to deliver it.

The £1.5 billion of extra funding would make around 6,000 more beds available each day by expanding hospital capacity, more step down care  and creating “safety net” social care beds for patients waiting on long-term care decisions.

The party has also put forward amendments to the Government’s forthcoming health bill to eliminate corridor care and require ministers to regularly give evidence before bereaved families and NHS staff, explaining how they will end the scandal.

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

"Among all Labour's disappointments, none has been more damning than the miserable failure to tackle corridor care. Tens of thousands of people are being treated on stifling, unbearably hot hospital corridors - and the numbers are only rising as we head into summer.

“This is clearly no longer a winter crisis but a year-round perma-crisis. If Andy Burnham is serious about restoring hope, he will back our plans to end corridor care within a year. Instead of firefighting, we should invest in the step-down care, care at home and the care homes we need to get people out of hospital and free up beds.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

NHS statistics can be found here.

The Liberal Democrat proposal on a £1.5bn corridor care plan is here.

Liberal Democrat Amendment to the Health Bill can be found here.