Failure to ensure adequate supervision of emergency call handlers
First to latest report 21 Jun 2017 — 15 Apr 2026
Reports that mention this concern
4
Times this concern has been raised
6
Stated actions linked to this concern
10
What this concern includes
Includes failures of supervision arrangements for emergency call handlers, including supervisor availability, access to advice, oversight of calls, review of response decisions and escalation support for police, ambulance or comparable emergency call-handling functions.
What is not included
Excludes general call-handler training, triage, recording, dispatch or algorithm deficiencies where supervision is not the shared unsafe condition.
Excludes failures of emergency-service staffing or response capacity that do not specifically impair supervision or oversight of call handlers.
Excludes clinical supervision of clinicians, care staff or other personnel who are not handling emergency calls.
Excludes failures occurring after a call has been safely handled when the remaining deficiency concerns downstream attendance, treatment or investigation.
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
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
NHS England2
Cheshire Constabulary1
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust1
Wiltshire Police1
Executive non-departmental public body2
Police force2
NHS trust1
Reports and published responses 4 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
Cheshire
Concerns raised1
Failure to provide sufficient scope for call handlers to escalate RCRP calls for senior professional judgment
Linked response
Cheshire Constabulary
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4
Cheshire Constabulary
Train FCC staff, supervisors, managers and wider force personnel in RCRP law, procedures, toolkits, escalation and professional judgment.
Cheshire Constabulary
Establish a supervisor and Force Incident Manager escalation process for disputed, uncertain or exceptional deployment decisions.
Cheshire Constabulary
Employ trained RCRP floorwalkers and subject-matter support staff to assist call handlers during implementation and operational rollout.
Cheshire Constabulary
Conduct live and retrospective quality assurance of concern-for-safety incidents, provide feedback and arrange further development where required.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Cheshire Constabulary
Existing RCRP toolkits, structured questions, training and escalation procedures provide consistent decision-making and adequate review where deployment decisions are disputed.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Plymouth, Torbay and South Devon
Concerns raised1
Failure to review support arrangements for non-clinically qualified call advisors referring unusual cases to clinically qualified colleagues
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
NHS England
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
NHS England
Publish and recirculate posters and updated guidance reminding call handlers how to recognise and respond to complex calls.
NHS England
Introduce a complex-calls training workshop for organisations using NHS Pathways, covering recognition, escalation and multidisciplinary support.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
NHS England
Individual providers are responsible for training and supporting call handlers and creating infrastructure and clinical capacity for clinician transfers.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
NHS England
Existing complex-call definitions and early-exit routes were considered sound for enabling non-clinical handlers to obtain clinical support.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Wiltshire and Swindon
Concerns raised2
Inadequate supervision of Police call handlers
Failure to intervene in or correct unsafe call-handler advice
This report raised 6 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
Wiltshire Police
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
Wiltshire Police
A minor road-traffic-collision report, as initially understood, would not require supervisor oversight under existing procedures.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Wiltshire Police
Routine monitoring of every call is not achievable because supervisors have other responsibilities and the control room manages numerous live incidents.
Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
Exeter and Greater Devon
Concerns raised2
Insufficient availability of Clinical Supervisors to advise call handlers on appropriate responses
Failure to provide constant clinical oversight of all emergency reports
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Put funding in place to recruit ten additional clinicians.
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Review clinicians’ rota arrangements to align availability with demand by time and day.
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Introduce a cross-hub hunt group enabling EMAs to obtain support from available clinicians.
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Add major blood loss categories to the Clinical Supervisors’ Escalation Report.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
EMAs are not completely reliant on NHS Pathways because clinical escalation, local guidance and supervisory review provide additional safeguards.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.