Recurring concern
Insufficient safe staffing and senior cover out of hours
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Request correctionFirst reported 26 Nov 2013•Latest report 26 May 2026
What this concern includes
Includes recurring deficiencies in staffing capacity, experienced staff availability, senior clinical review, or ward management cover that specifically undermine safe weekend or out-of-hours care.
Not included
- Excludes staffing or leadership deficiencies not materially connected to weekend or out-of-hours safe care.
- Excludes failures of diagnostic, referral, documentation, audit or communication processes unless the report directly identifies inadequate weekend staffing or senior cover as the unsafe condition.
- Excludes generic workforce shortages where no specific safe-care or senior-cover consequence is supported.
- Reports
- 44
- Individual concerns
- 48
- Date range
- 2013–2026
- Stated actions
- 53
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
Unavailability of senior staff in the hospital during weekend care
This report raised 5 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
Increase weekend consultant availability and establish gastroenterology consultant ward rounds at Good Hope Hospital.
Stated by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation 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
A consultant was available on call and an upper gastrointestinal consultant was on site, contrary to the concern that senior staff were absent.
Stated by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Insufficient out-of-hours mental health/Crisis staffing
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.
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.3
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Action
Fill staffing vacancies with bank and agency cover to provide a 24-hour site-based service.
Stated by Isle of Wight NHS Trust -
Action
Evaluate the most effective approach to providing safe 24-hour cover.
Stated by Isle of Wight NHS Trust -
Action
Prepare and secure approval for a business case developed with the CCG and local authority for a revised out-of-hours care model.
Stated by Isle of Wight NHS Trust
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Concerns raised1
Insufficient medical registrar cover at night
This report raised 5 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 of a vascular hub to maintain required staffing and resources
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
Inadequate out-of-hours NICU staffing levels
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
Absence of senior review of patients over weekends
This report raised 5 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
Reorganize consultant working practices to increase the proportion of patients receiving review at least every 24 hours.
Stated by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
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Concerns raised1
Lack of Consultant review of patients over weekends
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.
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
Work with the NHS to make seven-day services available in all hospitals.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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Concerns raised1
Lack of assured general surgical competence in out-of-hours cover
This report raised 14 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
NHS Improvement, NHS England, and the Care Quality Commission, working with the Trust and commissioners, were responsible for ensuring appropriate action.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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Concerns raised1
Inadequate out-of-hours medical staffing
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 raised1
Insufficient weekend staffing capacity
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.2
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Action
Provide four-hour weekend ward rounds by middle-grade surgeons for elective surgical patients, with concerns reported to on-call consultants.
Stated by Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Recruit two clinical fellows to provide sufficient clinicians for the additional weekend ward rounds.
Stated by Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Data last updated 7 September 2026