The union is calling for investment in beds, the nursing workforce, community services and social care.

RCN members say the lack of action by governments has left them feeling ‘ashamed', ‘angry' and ‘embarrassed' about the unsafe, undignified care they are forced to deliver to patients.

Nursing staff also report having a lack of access to vital lifesaving equipment, such as oxygen and suction, but also say there are simply too few staff to care for the number of patients being placed in non-clinical areas.   

Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN general secretary and chief executive, said: ‘This new testimony from nursing staff reveals once again the devastating human consequences of corridor care, with patients forced to endure conditions which have no place in our NHS.'

She added: ‘It's taking a terrible toll on staff, but ministers mustn't allow them to lose hope. Decisive action can restore care standards and stop staff morale collapsing past the point of no return.

‘Now is the time for ministers to stop dragging their feet and publish the data, alongside announcing a fully funded action plan and timeline for eradication.'

In response, Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, said: ‘Healthcare leaders know that corridor care is undignified and can often be unsafe and frustrating for patients and their families. They also know how the practice is now taking its toll on staff.

‘However, patient flow is a whole system issue, of which corridor care is the highly visible tip of the iceberg. The NHS has been starved of capital investment for more than a decade and is dogged by crumbling infrastructure and outdated equipment. There is simply not enough space to house and treat the number of patients who need its care.

‘Health leaders will continue to do all they can to tackle the root causes of corridor care, including trying to ensure flow through the system by improving patient discharge, working with local authorities to improve social care provision, and prioritising vulnerable older patients at the front door through increased frailty screening.'