Almost a quarter of people going to Medway’s emergency department do not need to be there, as overcrowding leads to thousands of patients having to be treated in corridors.

An average of 800 to 900 patients a month are left without a proper bed at Medway Maritime, latest board papers have revealed. Meanwhile, A&E staff send 23% of people to the out of hours GP service Meddoc, because they only need minor treatment.

In June, 855 patients received all or part of their treatment in corridors. This staggering figure was actually the lowest number so far this year, as staff continue to face pressure from high attendances.

On one day in July the department had 401 people through its doors, one of the highest attendances on record.

There have been nine incidents classed as “serious” in the emergency department since January, two of which saw patients waiting more than 12 hours.

One of these was great-grandmother Jessie Wilson who was left in an A&E corridor for 13 hours, as reported in the Medway Messenger at the time. The 88-year-old, who was admitted by ambulance after suffering a head injury when she fell at home, was on a trolley between busy double doors and a gents’ toilet.

Kelly Tolhurst, MP for Rochester and Strood, said there was “no excuse” for patients being treated in corridors but staff were managing the situation to protect safety.

She said: “This is of course disappointing and unacceptable, particularly long term. Again this highlights to us the issues of demand on our local hospital, which can only get worse with the prospect of an additional 70,000 homes across North Kent in the next twenty years.

“Patient numbers are on the rise. While there is no excuse for people to be treated in the corridors, actually that process is being managed by the Medway hospital in a way that protects patient safety.”

"Again this highlights to us the issues of demand on our local hospital, which can only get worse with the prospect of an additional 70,000 homes" - Kelly Tolhurst MP

Margaret Dalziel, director of clinical operations for emergency care, said: “As is the case with all NHS Trusts, we’ve been faced with the need to situate patients in specially adapted corridors, with appropriate safety measures, to cope with our existing capacity demands.

“It’s important to stress patients have been assessed as low risk and should always have access to a call bell and dignity screen. They will also be constantly monitored by a named nurse, who will offer the same level of care and compassion that any patient elsewhere in the hospital should expect to receive.”

Designed for 45,000 people, A&E now sees 100,000 patients every year. In June, 3,113 people arrived at the hospital by ambulance.

Despite the pressures, there has been some improvement with 55% of ambulance patients being handed over within 15 minutes, an increase of 4%. More people are also being seen within the four-hour target time.

Mrs Dalziel added: “We have to be realistic about the capacity challenges we currently face. Despite these challenges, we’re still making positive strides.

“We’re also pressing ahead with our bold and exciting plans to redevelop and expand the department, which will more than double the size of bays currently available in our majors unit.”

The redevelopment of the emergency department is now expected to cost £20m, with more funding coming from the Department of Health on top of the £13.4m already received from the government.

Once complete, the department will have 24 bays in majors, seven bays in resuscitation, and 10 bays in the clinical decisions unit (CDU). It will have 41 bays in total up from the current 11.

Ms Tolhurst added: “This will certainly alleviate the pressures but it will of course take time to come on stream. I will be liaising with both the hospital and the department of health to see where delays can be resolved and progress made.

“This matter should also not wholly distract away from the improvements and progress being made by the hospital to come out of special measures. While there is still considerable work ahead, I have been encouraged by the measures already taken to patient safety, leadership and staff engagement among senior and middle managers.”