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Date Published: 08/04/2025

Hospital beds spilling into the corridors at Murcia's Arrixaca again

Dozens of patients were left waiting in the corridors yesterday as the hospital struggles with springtime pressure

The familiar sight of hospital beds lining the corridors of the Emergency Department at the Virgen de la Arrixaca Hospital in El Palmar, central Murcia has returned – this time not during the height of winter, but in the middle of spring.

This Monday April 7, around 50 patients were left waiting on stretchers in the corridor of the -1 floor, unable to be transferred to the wards due to a lack of available rooms.

Hospital staff confirmed that by midday there were 48 patients awaiting admission. In addition, 18 others had been placed in temporary accommodation on the sixth floor, in an area that is typically activated as a pre-admission zone when the emergency department becomes overwhelmed.

Doctors say those on the sixth floor are comparatively fortunate, having access to a shared room with a toilet, unlike those lined up in the corridor, who must endure constant noise and lack of privacy. However, these patients are not yet considered officially admitted, as they have not been assigned a specialist.

The hospital’s management acknowledged the strain, stating on Monday afternoon that the 48 patients in the Emergency Department were waiting for space to become available as others were discharged. The 18 in peripheral areas were also in limbo, pending full admission.

What makes this situation more unusual is that it is taking place in April, a time when demand is normally lower. This winter has seen fewer flu cases than usual, and no major outbreak has been reported. Instead, hospital staff attribute the bottleneck to short-term surges, particularly on Mondays, which often follow weekends or public holidays.

“We’ve had several Mondays with very high peaks and beds in the corridors,” said one staff member. “It’s something we usually see occasionally after holiday periods, but it’s been happening more frequently.”

The reappearance of corridor beds highlights ongoing capacity challenges at Arrixaca and reflects the wider pressure faced by hospitals during unexpected peaks in patient numbers, even outside the typical high-demand seasons.

Image: Murcia Salud

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