Watford General Hospital has been featured on the national news after a turnaround that has seen it eradicate corridor care.
ITV News aired a segment on the hospital during its afternoon and evening bulletins yesterday (May 19).
It marks a significant departure from the last time the national spotlight was on Watford General - a 2023 Channel 4 documentary which exposed a "corridor nightmare" and "harrowing situation".
Chief nurse Kelly McGovern told ITV News that the biggest change that has been made is ending "the culture of accepting", adding: "It’s actually soul destroying to be nursing in a corridor, so we’ve allowed our staff to say it’s not okay and we won’t continue to do it."
A&E waiting times have vastly improved, with the hospital going from 102nd in national league tables in 2022 to now being in the top 10.
Where once there would be up to 28 patients left on trolleys in crowded corridors, there are now none, even as Watford General battled record demand over the winter.
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Reflecting on the report, Kelly said: “We’ve gone from close to the bottom of the A&E league tables to being consistently one of the best in the country. Culture change, embracing data and working closely with our partners, has helped us to tackle corridor care.
“There’s been a shift in mindset from accepting corridor care to staff recognising that it is not normal. It’s soul-destroying to be nursing in a corridor, so we’ve empowered our staff to say it’s not okay and we won’t continue to do it. Now, staff aim to treat every patient like their own family member.
"Corridor care, which had been normalised for years, has been eliminated thanks to the hard work, dedication and passion of our teams. Culture change, embracing data and working closely with our partners has helped us to tackle corridor care.
"We know there’s still more to do and room for improvement, but as this report shows it’s also important we recognise the progress of our teams."
The town's MP Matt Turmaine was full of praise for the turnaround, saying: "What positive and cheering news from Watford and rightly in the national headlines too.
"I cannot praise the staff highly enough. I salute them for the magnificent turnaround they have achieved at the hospital and the reduction in ambulance handover times at A&E.
"The government's target is to end the scourge of 'corridor care' by 2029 and Watford is there, in the vanguard, leading the way."
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