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Scotland is now “trailing behind England in the fight to eradicate corridor care”, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said.

The trade union said the Scottish Government must publish data on the number of Scots experiencing corridor care after NHS England released figures for those south of the border.

Colin Poolman, executive director of RCN Scotland, said that while the practice was previously only used in “exceptional circumstances”, it has now become normalised.

Data released on Thursday showed nearly 3,000 patients were cared for in hospital corridors or makeshift treatment areas every day in England last month.

During May, there were 2,241 patients a day on average who experienced corridor care while in A&E, with another 669 experiencing it on or near wards inside the hospital.

NHS England published figures for the first time on corridor care, with one expert saying they “confirm the scale of something that should never have been normalised in the NHS”.

A patient is classed as receiving corridor care if their treatment does not take place in a clinically appropriate and safe setting.

The criteria used for defining an appropriate setting include things such as patients having privacy, access to food, water and toilets, and whether lights can be turned off and noise levels minimised to allow sleep.

RCN Scotland said ministers at Holyrood must now follow England’s example and publish the data on corridor care for Scotland.

Mr Poolman said: “Scotland is now trailing behind England in the fight to eradicate corridor care.

“Corridor care was once an emergency measure for exceptional circumstances but has long since become normalised.

“It’s unsafe and undignified for patients, and health and care leaders still lack a complete picture of the scale of the problem.

“It’s really difficult to solve a problem if you don’t know the full extent.

“While the previous cabinet secretary for health and social care’s £220 million investment in addressing high hospital occupancy and patient flow was a small step in the right direction, it is nowhere near enough.

“The Scottish government needs to stop dragging its feet and publish accurate data, alongside a fully-funded action plan and timeline for eradication, including how they intend to boost nurse numbers, increase capacity in community services and provision in social care.”

The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.