Nurses lift the lid on corridor care

Nurses have raised fresh alarm about being forced to place patients in corridors at the overcrowded Royal Adelaide Hospital.

In a report to SafeWork SA on July 20, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation reported a protocol for Emergency Department patients to be sent “the corridor until a bed becomes available”.

The report said this would leave the psychological safety of staff was at “major risk” because of the “increased workload” and “moral distress” of not being able to provide care to patients in a safe manner.

“Some patients ... will be placed in the corridor that blocks a fire exit ... in the event of an emergency,” the report said.

The report also said patients would be given call bells that can only be heard “if you’re walking past”. Concern has also been raised about there being no oxygen and suctioning available in many of the areas.

On October 11, 2025, grandmother Helen Sargent passed away in the Royal Adelaide Hospital after being placed in a corridor with limited access to emergency equipment.

A hospital report compiled by staff, and provided to Mrs Sargent’s family under Freedom of Information, states the following:

• Mrs Sargent was placed in a “corridor” as an “overflow patient”
• Mrs Sargent had “no emergency bell”
• Staff had “nil access to suction”
• There was no electricity plug for the bed
• There was a “delay to oxygen administration” because a wall unit wasn’t available

Security footage obtained by Mrs Sargent’s family shows that she was unattended for more than an hour. A note left in the medical report by one hospital staff member said the “the system stinks”.

State Liberal Leader Ashton Hurn said the latest report highlights the ongoing pressure facing staff and patients in the state’s stretched health system.

“Nurses say corridor care is not safe and on that basis we support their calls for a SafeWork SA investigation,” Mrs Hurn said.

“When the nurses on the frontline are saying this is a crisis that needs need to be addressed, then the Government must listen and act.

“More than two months ago, we raised the concerns of the Sargent family in Parliament, yet they still don’t have answers, and corridor care appears to be continuing.

“The last thing we want is for this to become standard practice across the health system and we are calling for real action to ensure it stops.”

Shadow Minister for Health and Wellbeing Jack Batty said the Government needs to explain what it’s doing to ensure corridor care is not a permanent reality.

“Premier Peter Malinauskas told South Australians to vote for him like their lives depended on it, and now we have patients being left in hallways,” Mr Batty said.

“This is the Labor Government’s problem to fix and South Australians deserve to know when they can expect to see real improvements, not more excuses.

“The Government must outline what immediate action it is taking to reduce ramping, improve patient flow and restore confidence in our health system.”

Media Contact: Ben Avery 0439 955 254