The number of patients being cared for in hospital corridors or makeshift treatment areas in England increased in June, figures show, as heatwaves place an additional strain on the health service.
Officials said the data shows that “summer is now putting the NHS under just as much pressure as winter”.
The waiting list for routine hospital treatment increased for the second consecutive month to its highest since December.
An average of 2,432 patients received corridor care in A&E departments in England each day in June, along with 749 elsewhere in hospital wards, totalling 3,181.
This is up from 2,242 in A&E and 658 in hospital wards each day in May, totalling 2,900.
It is the second time the figures have been published by NHS England, with the data covering patients who receive corridor care for at least 45 minutes.
This means care did not take place in a clinically appropriate and safe setting where patients have privacy, access to food, water and toilets, and lights can be turned off and noise levels minimised to allow sleep.
Health Secretary James Murray told the Press Association: “The reason why we took a decision as a Government for the first time to publish these statistics on corridor care is because corridor care is completely unacceptable, it’s undignified, and we want to eliminate it by the end of this Parliament.
“The first step to eliminating it is to identify where it is.
“The NHS is very used to stepping up around winter pressures, and that’s well established as a part of the NHS.
“What I want to make sure we’re prepared for as well is heatwave pressures, and so some of my work as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has been to work with NHS leadership to make sure the plans are in place to respond to heatwaves when they come to minimise their impact on the service that we provide.”
Professor Frankie Swords, NHS national medical director, said: “These figures show that summer is now putting the NHS under just as much pressure as winter, with staff facing an onslaught of demand – and we have to prepare for it in the same way.
“Staff are currently experiencing the busiest months of their career, but they are delivering for patients despite this record demand.”
Prof Swords added that Mondays have been particularly busy for emergency departments amid weekend heatwaves and the World Cup.
“What we’re seeing on the ground is really busy Mondays following weekends of football and sunshine, so please don’t delay coming forward for care when you need it, even if it’s in early hours on a weekend,” he said.
“In the continuing warm weather, please take precautions like staying hydrated, and check in on loved ones or those who are vulnerable, and as always, please dial 999 in an emergency, and otherwise use 111.”
Bea Taylor, fellow at think tank Nuffield Trust, said there is “no doubt” that heatwaves are putting additional strain on the health service.
“The health service is used to dealing with the extra pressure that winter brings each year, but climate change means hospitals are now facing multiple shocks throughout the summer months too,” she said.
Meanwhile, an estimated 7.28 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of May, relating to 6.16 million patients.
This is up from 7.22 million treatments and 6.11 million patients at the end of April.
There was a rise in the number of people facing long waits for treatment, with 104,734 waiting more than a year at the end of May, up from 99,781 at the end of April.
However, 65.6% of patients began hospital treatment within 18 weeks of referral, up slightly from 65.0% in April.
The Government and NHS England set an interim target of March this year for the figure to reach 65% and have also pledged that 92% of patients will be seen in this timeframe by the end of the current parliament in 2029.
Mr Murray told PA: “We always knew that turning the NHS around is going to take time, and there will be bumps in the road.
“But the direction of travel is the right one, and we need to keep going in that direction.”
