Enter and view: Macclesfield A&E - Corridor care

Healthwatch Cheshire carried out an Enter and View visit to the Accident and Emergency Department at Macclesfield District General Hospital in December 2025. This visit followed earlier Enter and View activity in November 2024 and a focused follow-up visit on 14 August 2025, which examined the experiences of patients receiving care in corridors and other temporary escalation spaces. The purpose of the follow-up visit in December 2025 was to understand people’s experiences of care in temporary escalation spaces and to see whether issues identified in August 2025 had improved over time - around safety, privacy and dignity, communication, and access to food, drink and hygiene support. 

During the August 2025 visit, Healthwatch talked to 6 patients. During the December 2025 visit, they spoke with 9 people (7 on 4 December and 2 on 10 December). In August, most people rated their experience as good (5) and one rated it poor. In December, ratings were mixed: very good (4), good (2) and neither good nor poor (3). 

Some people described very long waits, including 22–36 hours in the corridor or Fit to Sit escalation spaces, and up to 28 hours spent in the waiting room. One person described spending two consecutive nights in Fit to Sit, seated in a chair. 

Across both visits, people consistently praised staff as kind, caring and professional, and many recognised the pressures staff were working under. In December, patients described regular staff checks in some areas, and Healthwatch observed staff presence supporting patients in temporary escalation spaces. However, call bell access and awareness was inconsistent. 

In the areas where call bells existed, they were either not within reach, not explained, or simply unavailable in Fit to Sit or the waiting room. People also raised poor comfort and rest overnight, including older people spending long periods in chairs, along with ongoing issues around personal hygiene support, limited food choice for those waiting longest, and inconsistent communication about likely next steps and timescales. Written information about corridor care was rarely offered.