Senedd members urged the Welsh Government to put an end to the "undignified and disrespectful” practice of corridor care in Welsh hospitals.

James Evans, the Conservatives’ shadow health secretary, warned corridor care has become the norm and the crisis can no longer be ignored.

He said: “A crisis where patients – mothers, fathers, grandparents – are left waiting in chairs for hours and sometimes days waiting for a bed.

“A crisis where ambulance crews spend hours parked outside hospitals and when they get inside they’re left waiting in corridors.

“A crisis where doctors and nurses, despite their dedication and tireless efforts, are being pushed beyond breaking point, describing their workplaces as war zones with patients placed everywhere. This is a national disgrace.”

Leading a Tory debate on 19 February, Mr Evans raised a report by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) which warned corridor care is putting patients at risk in every part of Wales.

He told the Senedd: “If we’re serious about ending corridor care, we must also free up hospital capacity.

“We must pause the reduction in hospital beds and conduct a national review of NHS capacity.”

Urging ministers to accept the report’s recommendations, he highlighted the RCN’s calls for more clinical decision makers on weekends, district nurses and community care teams.

He said: “Corridor care should never be allowed to happen and we must never, ever tolerate it.

“This means making it a never event, something so unacceptable it must never happen.”

Mabon ap Gwynfor described the RCN report as painting a bleak picture of a health service that puts patients and staff at risk.

“The report reinforces what we have heard,” he said.

“With heart-rending examples of patients dying in their chairs in a hospital corridor while waiting for treatment.

“It's a totally undignified and disrespectful way of treating our loved ones, and the [Welsh] Government must ensure that this practice comes to an end.”

Janet-Finch Saunders said more than 6,500 ambulances spent at least an hour outside a Welsh A&E waiting to offload patients in December alone.

Carolyn Thomas pointed to the impact of 14 years of austerity, with cuts shared between social care and the health service.

Health secretary Jeremy Miles said the Welsh Government will focus on strengthening the whole health and care system, not only hospitals.

He said: “I don't believe that it is acceptable to provide care or treatment in areas that are not clinical settings, or areas that are inappropriate.

“But this is happening because the health service here and across the UK is under huge pressure.”

Mr Miles added: “Our district and community nursing teams play a vital role in delivering high-quality care closer to home, preventing unnecessary hospital admissions….

“We are committed to expanding and investing in this part of the nursing workforce to meet the needs of our population and to improve outcomes.”

Senedd members voted 26-24 against the motion.

The Welsh Government’s amendment, to note the report rather than commit to its recommendations, was agreed by the same margin.