The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has called for action to tackle NHS staff shortages and said the health service “cannot continue to ask doctors to perform the impossible”.
It comes as a recent poll suggested that a lack of senior doctors on duty is negatively impacting hospital patient care.
The RCP’s latest Focus on Physicians Survey found 59 per cent of consultants reported vacancies at their own grade, with 83 per cent concerned that rota gaps are having a negative impact on patient care.
The poll found the most common consequences of consultant-level rota gaps were reduced access to out-of-hours inpatient care (39 per cent) and longer hospital stays (28 per cent).
Almost two-thirds of specialists (68 per cent) also told the RCP they had experienced issues with delayed discharge from hospital.
Launching its new report – the voice of physicians: RCP emerging themes report 2025 – the college has called for a new long-term workforce plan with independently verified projections for the number of consultants and specialists needed, as well as support to retain senior doctors and reforms to training.
It has also called for a national commitment to end corridor care and more investment in social care to improve patient flow and tackle delayed discharges.
It comes after a snapshot survey of 553 doctors by the RCP found 59 per cent had reported caring for patients in temporary spaces such as hospital corridors, offices and cupboards between June and August.
Professor Mumtaz Patel, RCP president, said: “Physicians are working tirelessly to deliver safe, compassionate care in an NHS that is under extreme pressure.
“But we cannot continue to ask doctors to perform the impossible. Corridor care is unsafe and unsustainable – it must never become normalised.
“The RCP is calling for coordinated national action to tackle workforce shortages, protect training time and invest in social care to restore safe patient flow.”
Elsewhere, resident doctors – previously known as junior doctors – said pressures in the health service leaves “little time for training or reflection”.
The RCP’s next generation survey of more than 1,000 resident doctors found only 44 per cent are satisfied with their clinical training, while 47 per cent want to work less than full time in the future.
More than a third (35 per cent) told the poll they were unsure if they would be working in the NHS in five years.
Dr Catherine Rowan and Dr Stephen Joseph, co-chairs of the RCP resident doctor committee, said: “We want to learn and deliver great patient care, but the reality is that service pressures often leave little time for training or reflection.
“When you’re constantly firefighting, supervision and education are often the first areas to get pushed to the margins – yet they’re essential for patient safety and for developing confident and competent future consultants.”
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