Recurring concern
Unreliable formal safety-incident management processes
First reported 29 May 2013•Latest report 10 Mar 2026
What this concern includes
Includes failures of a formal organisational safety-incident or serious-incident management framework, including incident identification, grading, coordination, investigation, monitoring and control.
Not included
- Excludes failures limited to implementing corrective actions after incident learning has already been established.
- Excludes generic organisational learning, governance or incident-reporting deficiencies where no serious-incident management process is identified.
- Excludes the underlying clinical or operational hazard and failures in ordinary care that are not part of serious-incident management.
- Excludes investigations concerning deaths, complaints, crime or regulatory matters where the reported concern is not the management of a serious or untoward incident.
- Excludes operational emergency-response, rescue and event-planning protocols that are not part of a formal organisational safety-incident management framework.
- Reports
- 103
- Individual concerns
- 129
- Date range
- 2013–2026
- Stated actions
- 182
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
Delayed and incomplete serious incident investigations
This report raised 12 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.5
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Action
Follow up statutory notifications from The Children’s Trust with robust investigations documenting actions taken and improvements made.
Stated by Care Quality Commission -
Action
Establish the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework to support effective investigation and learning from patient safety incidents.
Stated by NHS England -
Action
Carry out a comprehensive review of the Report’s concerns at the Children’s Trust through South East regional representatives.
Stated by NHS England
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Action
Develop clear protocols and training for unexpected child deaths using relevant national and local guidance.
Stated by The Children's Trust -
Action
Update the Incident Reporting and Investigation, including Duty of Candour Policy, to reflect learning from the investigation.
Stated by The Children's Trust
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
Since 2018, statutory notifications have been followed up with appropriate investigations documenting actions and improvements.
Stated by Care Quality Commission
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Concerns raised1
Failure of serious incident investigations to identify and implement critical lessons
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.5
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Action
Amend 72-hour and team incident reports to document lessons learned and recurrence-prevention actions in greater detail.
Stated by Priory Group -
Action
Adopt and roll out the NHS Patient Safety Incident Review Framework for proportionate serious-incident investigations.
Stated by Priory Group -
Action
Require full PSIRF investigations for absconding incidents from ward gardens or courtyards.
Stated by Priory Group
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Action
Provide updated serious-incident investigation training to all Hospital Directors.
Stated by Priory Group -
Action
Review incident reports and response actions through divisional Quality Improvement Leads, escalating concerns about inadequate action.
Stated by Priory Group
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Concerns raised2
Failure to declare serious incidents
Failure to investigate wider circumstances of serious incidents
This report raised 3 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 raised2
Inaccuracies in patient safety incident investigation reports
Patient safety investigations omitting relevant incident and record-keeping concerns
This report raised 17 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
Ensure review authors do not repeat the omission of relevant safety concerns in future reviews.
Stated by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised2
Flawed and limited review of serious clinical incidents
Failure to undertake detailed, rigorous and effective investigations of serious clinical incidents
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.
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 undertake serious incident reviews of supervision failures
This report raised 1 other concern. 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
Factual errors and misinterpretations in SUI investigation reports
This report raised 9 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.2
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Action
Update the serious-incident information-gathering process to obtain staff statements early and use them in investigations.
Stated by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Assign a Patient Safety Practitioner to support and advise serious-incident review teams.
Stated by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised2
Inaccurate and misinterpreted serious untoward incident investigation reports
Inadequate oversight of serious untoward incident investigation reports before sign-off
This report raised 8 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.4
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Action
Update serious-incident information-gathering procedures to obtain staff statements early and use them in investigations.
Stated by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Assign a Patient Safety Practitioner to support and advise serious-incident investigation teams.
Stated by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Share final serious-incident investigation drafts with senior managers and clinical leads for factual checking and approval.
Stated by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
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Action
Require post-incident executive review and approval of serious-incident reports before release to families and other stakeholders.
Stated by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Failure to trigger serious or untoward incident review following repeated falls
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.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
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Concerns raised1
Deficient and ineffective Serious Incident Review process
This report raised 7 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.
Data last updated 7 September 2026