An End to Corridor Care: My Fight for Better Healthcare in Stockport

An End to Corridor Care: My Fight for Better Healthcare in Stockport

As the Member of Parliament for Cheadle, I am calling for urgent action to end the crisis of corridor care in our local hospitals. New research from the House of Commons Library, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, has revealed that 1,219 patients in Stockport endured trolley waits of over 12 hours this winter. Across Greater Manchester NHS Trusts, the number soared to 11,390.

A trolley wait occurs when a patient in A&E has been assessed and a decision made to admit them, yet they remain waiting, often on a hospital trolley, before being allocated a bed. This is unacceptable.

At Stepping Hill Hospital, a crucial part of our community, patients are being let down by a healthcare system that simply isn't working. People deserve better than spending hours, sometimes over half a day, waiting for care in a hospital corridor.

We cannot allow this to become the new normal. The government must take urgent action to fix this crisis, and that means properly funding our NHS, including fully funding the rebuild of Stepping Hill, tackling staff shortages, and ensuring hospitals have the resources they need to prepare for winter pressures before they escalate.

The Liberal Democrats have put forward a clear plan to tackle this issue. We are calling for a dedicated taskforce to address NHS winter crises, backed by a ringfenced £1.5 billion fund to help hospitals manage seasonal surges before they happen.

This is about dignity, safety, and respect for patients. The Labour government must match our ambition and commit to ending corridor care for good. I will continue to fight for better healthcare in Cheadle and ensure that our community gets the NHS services we deserve.

Tom Morrison MP