Health and social care secretary Yvette Cooper apologised on behalf of the NHS after the parents of a two-year-old boy broke down in tears on BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg while describing the corridor care he received before his death.
Finlay Roberts died at the age of two after spending hours in a busy A&E corridor while critically ill. During the programme, his mother Liz was in tears as she recalled the final hours of his life.
Mother describes corridor care ordeal
Liz said: "Corridor care robs people of their dignity when they're at their most vulnerable, and for that to be happening to children… In Finlay's case, at one point in the evening, while we were sitting on the chair, where I was given a suppository to administer to him.
"I administered that to him while sitting on that chair in that understaffed, overcrowded department. So the reality of that is I had to remove his nappy in a public space to give him medicine that he needed, because there was no option."
Finlay's father David was also blinking back tears on the show as he recalled the conditions at Whittington Hospital in north London. Finlay spent nine hours in A&E with a twisted bowel condition before being sent home in the early hours of the morning. His mother later found him in bed next to her not breathing, after routine observations failed to be carried out.
Hospital response and apology
Kuenssberg explained on the show: "The Whittington Hospital where that happened told us that they extended their condolences to the family.
"They said, though, they continue to experience periods of exceptional demand and at times some patients still may receive care in temporary clinical areas, including corridors. They said their staff work tirelessly to provide safe and compassionate care."
Turning to Cooper, she asked: "What will it take to stop this happening? Not to say, 'yes, it's important', but to stop it happening?"
Cooper replied: "I'd like to first just apologise to Finlay's parents for what they've had to go through, on behalf of the NHS. It's just unimaginable for parents to have to go through what they've been through. No child should be treated in a corridor, no patient should be treated in a corridor.
"Children should be treated in specialist support, services and spaces to make sure that they, in particular, have the support and care they need."
Next steps on corridor care
Kuenssberg said: "But that's not happening. NHS guidelines in England, for which you're responsible, already say children shouldn't be treated in corridors. This problem has been getting worse and staring you in the face!"
Cooper set out her next steps, including "urgent action" to address corridor care for children and analysing the number of children being treated in corridors. She explained a plan is being put in place to "end corridor care more broadly".
