The debate, which is due to take place this afternoon, was prompted by a joint petition by the unions which calls on the Welsh Government to put an end to corridor care by measuring its prevalence and taking steps to prevent overcrowding in hospitals, such as investing in community care.

The petition, which gathered the support of more than 10,000 signatures was launched in April after nurses and doctors had reported serious concerns about the harm it was causing patients and staff, including the added risks of death, poorer outcomes and the overall lack of dignity for patients.

Dr Manish Adke, chair of the BMA's Welsh Consultants Committee who attended the Senedd, said: ‘As health professionals it is extremely distressing to see patients in unsafe, inappropriate spaces whilst they are at their most vulnerable.

‘What's worse is that this practice is becoming systematically normalised and that is completely unacceptable. It is not what we trained for, it's not the care we want to give and it's putting patients at risk of serious harm.

‘Without an allocated bed space we cannot stabilise patients with fluids, antibiotics or invasive lines. This adds serious risk to patients and leads to poorer outcomes and adds a greater risk of death. The Welsh Government must act now because lives depend on it.'

Helen Whyley, executive director of RCN Wales, added: ‘People from around Wales and beyond have united with us and the BMA to call for an end to Corridor Care. We're asking Welsh government to listen to the strength of feeling and act now.

‘Hardworking nurses and health care professionals are doing their best to care for seriously ill patients in unacceptable, dangerous and almost Dickensian-like conditions, adding stress to both the carer-giver and the patients and seriously putting lives at risk.

‘We're calling for the Welsh government to work with us and the BMA on resolutions for improved care pathways and conditions for both patients and health care professionals. This includes investment in front-line community care, such as increasing the number of district nurses. Corridor Care is undignified, unsafe and unacceptable - the Welsh government must act to end this practice now.'

In addition, NHS leaders have highlighted the urgent need to address the root causes of ‘corridor care' in hospitals, which they say is a consequence of system-wide challenges.

They warn that banning corridor care without tackling underlying issues risks worsening ambulance delays and harming patients elsewhere in the system. They call for integrated solutions across health and social care to ensure safe, dignified and timely care for patients.

Key priorities for NHS leaders include:

• Social care reform: Long-term investment and radical reform to stabilise the sector, supporting patient flow and helping keep people out of hospital.
• Prevention and early intervention: Stabilising demand (reducing avoidable hospital admissions) through preventative initiatives and early intervention, including strengthening community-based services.
• Capital investment: A comprehensive 10-year strategy to modernise facilities, upgrade equipment and improve digital systems, thereby improving productivity, patient safety and experience.
• Workforce planning: A clear, costed, long-term health and social care workforce plan to ensure we can meet future demand and support the workforce.

Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said: ‘No patient should be treated in a corridor, but banning temporary escalation spaces without fixing the root causes will only push the problem elsewhere. NHS leaders don't want to see ‘corridor care' replaced by ‘car park care', exacerbating ambulance handover delays and slowing their response, increasing the risk of harm to patients with possibly more serious emergencies.

‘We urgently need long-term investment in social care, prevention, capital infrastructure and workforce planning to ensure the NHS can deliver safe, dignified care for everyone who needs it.'