Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has ordered NHS England to develop urgent plans to stop children from receiving medical treatment in hospital corridors.

Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has directed NHS England to prioritize the elimination of "corridor care" for children and to establish new standards for pediatric emergency treatment. The directive follows pressure from over a dozen health organizations and the death of two-year-old Finlay Roberts, who spent his final hours in an A&E corridor. Cooper apologized to the family and committed to including children in official data tracking for long A&E wait times.

Addressing Emergency Care Pressures

The government has announced £140 million in funding to increase urgent care capacity, including 14 schemes for new urgent care centers, ambulance fleets, and emergency department upgrades. This initiative aims to mitigate the impact of seasonal illnesses like flu and norovirus following a record-breaking summer that saw nearly 7.3 million A&E attendances in England between June and August.

Systemic Challenges and Criticism

While the government aims to end corridor care by the end of this parliament, critics argue the measures are insufficient. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) described the new funding as a "sticking plaster" on a system at "breaking point" due to staff shortages. Meanwhile, NHS data shows 50,582 people waited over 12 hours in A&E in September, and the routine treatment waiting list reached 7.37 million by the end of August.