Recurring concern
Inadequate support for vulnerable patients during healthcare assessment and decisions
First reported 14 Nov 2017•Latest report 23 Aug 2021
What this concern includes
Includes failures to provide or arrange appropriate support for vulnerable patients during healthcare assessments, consultations or related care decisions when the support is needed to obtain an accurate clinical picture or enable meaningful decision-making.
Not included
- Excludes generic communication, family-contact or social-support failures where support during a healthcare assessment or care decision is not the unsafe condition.
- Excludes failures limited to clinical assessment quality, history-taking or decision-making where the patient had appropriate support available.
- Excludes reasonable-adjustment, interpreter, advocacy or consent-process concerns when those separately named systems provide the more specific supported boundary.
- Excludes general resource shortages or lack of support outside a healthcare assessment, consultation or related care decision.
- Reports
- 5
- Individual concerns
- 5
- Date range
- 2017–2021
- Stated actions
- 2
Distinct published reports
A report can raise multiple concerns
First to latest report issue date
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
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Concerns raised1
Lack of support for vulnerable patients during hospital assessment
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
Local NHS Trusts are responsible for determining hospital visiting arrangements within national principles and their own safety assessments.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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Concerns raised1
Lack of support for vulnerable patients and their decision making at outpatient appointments
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to support effective communication and understanding of the health baseline of vulnerable frail elderly patients during hospital presentation and assessment
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Highlight links to RESTORE2 and British Geriatrics Society guidance more explicitly in care-home admissions guidance.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
The existing red bag scheme and hospital passport were considered sufficient to address risks during Mrs Jones’s transfer to hospital.
Stated by Care Quality Commission
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Concerns raised1
Failure to provide assistance when obtaining consent from vulnerable patients
This report raised 10 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to ensure the resident and one-to-one carer attend general-practitioner consultations
This report raised 6 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Use the Anticipatory HealthCare Calendar to assess health symptoms, direct staff responses, record significant communications, train staff, and audit use weekly.
Stated by Beech Cliffe Limited
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
The resident’s absence from the GP consultation was treated as a justified one-off decision based on infection and behavioural concerns.
Stated by Beech Cliffe Limited
Data last updated 7 September 2026