Recurring concern

Unreliable safety CCTV monitoring systems

First to latest report 12 Mar 2014 — 3 Apr 2025

Reports that mention this concern: 23
Times this concern has been raised: 30
Stated actions linked to this concern: 11

What this concern includes

Includes failures of CCTV systems used for safety-critical monitoring across care, transport, public-access, custodial and operational settings, including coverage, availability, functionality, access, live monitoring, staff guidance, review, retrieval and provision of effective alternatives when CCTV is unavailable.

What is not included

Excludes CCTV used solely for general security, crime detection or retrospective evidence where no safety-monitoring function is identified.
Excludes failures limited to police access to CCTV information, custody CCTV monitoring, high-risk-location access monitoring or another separately named CCTV system when that narrower concern is the supported boundary.
Excludes generic staffing, training, communication or IT deficiencies unless they directly impair safety CCTV monitoring.
Excludes the underlying hazard or incident when no deficiency in the safety CCTV system is asserted.

Trends

Reports over time

Reports mentioning this concern, over time

Reports about this concern issued each year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Most frequent recipients

Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.

HM Prison and Probation Service2

Home Office2

Recipient name withheld2

Transport for London2

ACR Leisure Limited1

Alton Towers Resort1

Arriva Rail North Limited1

Birmingham City Council1

Calderdale Borough Council1

Canals and Waterways Agency1

Care Quality Commission1

Care UK1

Department for Transport1

Department of Health and Social Care1

Docklands Light Railway Limited1

Reports and published responses 23 reports

See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response

27 Aug2015
Birmingham and Solihull
Concerns raised1
1. Lack of CCTV
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
AI-generated summary

Eliza Simpson · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Eliza Simpson left Roseneath Care Home unobserved on 2 April 2015 and was found recently deceased at a local allotment on 6 April 2015. The inquest recorded the medical cause of death as ischaemic heart disease due to coronary artery disease and concluded that the death was accidental. Concerns included the lack of a system to reassess and renew expired deprivation of liberty safeguarding orders and the absence of CCTV, which hampered the police investigation.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Lack of CCTV
Wider context from the report
“(2) The absence of CCTV hampered the Police investigation, although this is unlikely to have contributed to Mrs. Simpson’s death this may not always be the case and did mean that a very vulnerable member of society was left wondering around on her own when she might otherwise have been found with the aid of CCTV footage. ”
Source location
Eliza Simpson · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report
23 May2014
Essex
Concerns raised1
1. Failure to monitor CCTV supervision and provide a contingency when unavailable
This report raised 7 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response

Institution of Occupational Safety and Health
Respondent positions 1
1. Institution of Occupational Safety and Health
  The swimming pool is closed, so no one else will be exposed to a similar risk at that facility.
  Existing arrangements considered sufficient
AI-generated summary

Josephine Foday and Komba Kpakiwa · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Josephine Foday and Komba Kpakiwa were found floating in the swimming pool at Down Hall Country House Hotel, and their deaths were confirmed shortly afterwards. The inquests concluded that the deaths were accidental and that the cause of death for both was consistent with drowning. Concerns included the pool’s dangerous profile, inadequate risk assessments and signage, lack of lifeguards and trained aquatic-rescue staff, and ineffective supervision arrangements, including unmonitored CCTV.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Failure to monitor CCTV supervision and provide a contingency when unavailable
Wider context from the report
“6) The pool operators had not sought the advice of a swimming pool expert in order to decide what would constitute adequate controls where constant pool supervision was not provided in this unusual hopper type pool. The operators were relying on CCTV as a method of supervision but this was not monitored and no system was put in its place when it became unavailable. ”
Source location
Josephine Foday and Komba Kpakiwa · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
The swimming pool is closed, so no one else will be exposed to a similar risk at that facility.

Verbatim wording from the response
“We understand that the swimming pool concerned is now closed and so no-one else will be put at similar risk in this facility.”

Source location
2014-0301-Response-by-IOSH
Page 1 · response
Published 23 May 2014
Open published response
12 Mar2014
Teesside
Concerns raised1
1. Infrequent observation of CCTV screens
This report raised 11 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses

HM Prison and Probation Service
Holme House Prison
Stated actions 1
1. HM Prison and Probation Service and Holme House Prison
  Remove CCTV cameras from healthcare-unit cells and use constant-observation cells with constant supervision for prisoners requiring high observation.
AI-generated summary

Andrew Ronald Hall · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Andrew Ronald Hall, an inmate at HM Holme House Prison, died on 27 March 2009 after causing incised wounds to his neck in a healthcare unit cell. The concerns included inadequate communication and documentation about his mental health and self-harm risk, failures in medication administration and observation, and deficiencies in CCTV quality, monitoring and staff arrangements.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Infrequent observation of CCTV screens
Wider context from the report
“12. There was infrequent observation of the CCTV screens on 27 March 2009. (Prison service & Healthcare staff) ”
Source location
Andrew Ronald Hall · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 1 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Remove CCTV cameras from healthcare-unit cells and use constant-observation cells with constant supervision for prisoners requiring high observation.

Verbatim wording from the response
“You raise a number of concerns about the effectiveness of the arrangements to observe prisoners in cells in the healthcare unit using CCTV (points 9-12, 15 and 16). Cameras have been removed from all cells and any prisoner assessed as requiring high levels of observation is located in a constant observation cell and subject to constant supervision in accordance with the arrangements set out in chapter 6 of PSI 64/2011.”

Source location
2014-0122-Response-by-NOMS
Page 1 · response
Published 12 March 2014
Open published response