A survey by Marie Curie and Nursing Standard has found that terminally ill patients in NHS hospitals are frequently receiving "undignified" end-of-life care due to severe staff shortages and overcrowding, with more than half of nurses reporting they have treated dying patients in corridors or other unsuitable spaces such as cupboards and offices. The findings raise serious concerns about patient dignity, with vulnerable people reportedly left on trolleys to go to the toilet, and in some cases die, in full public view, prompting renewed calls for the Government to overhaul palliative care provision.

The survey of 1,153 UK nurses and healthcare professionals found 55 per cent had treated patients in non-clinical areas, and over seven in ten said this compromised dignity and distressed families. Staffing levels (72 per cent) and lack of time (56 per cent) were cited as key barriers, while poor care planning led to confusion over patients' wishes, with more than a third of nurses witnessing CPR they felt was inappropriate. Marie Curie and the Royal College of Nursing are urging ministers to use the forthcoming Health Bill and promised modern services framework to fund 24/7 palliative care and ensure patients' end-of-life wishes are respected wherever they are treated.