Recurring concern
Failure of head injury assessment and treatment pathways to reliably recognise and manage head injuries
First reported 31 Oct 2013•Latest report 26 Jun 2026
What this concern includes
Includes deficiencies in dedicated head injury assessment or treatment pathways and their controls, including clinical decision support, triage, referral, escalation, admission, guidance, policy alignment and discharge arrangements, when they affect recognition or management of head injuries.
Not included
- Excludes generic staffing, training, documentation or communication deficiencies not explicitly tied to the head injury assessment or treatment pathway.
- Excludes unrelated injury, falls, anticoagulation, emergency transport or clinical governance concerns unless they specifically concern recognition or management of a head injury.
- Excludes deficiencies in pathways for other conditions, even where the failure mechanism is similar.
- Reports
- 28
- Individual concerns
- 33
- Date range
- 2013–2026
- Stated actions
- 46
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 written guidance or policy for management of head injury
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 the head injury pathway to include Clopidogrel as a CT scan trigger
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 assess home circumstances and available observation when discharging patients following head injury
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.
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
Operational improvements to head injury assessment and discharge are the responsibility of the involved NHS trust.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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Concerns raised1
Lack of policies and procedures for assessing and dealing with head injuries
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.
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
Introduce mandatory first-aid training before Responder attendance and require certificates to remain current.
Stated by Peaks & Plains Housing Trust -
Action
Validate the Responder assessment procedure with the ambulance service and obtain its customer-assessment checklist for future use.
Stated by Peaks & Plains Housing Trust -
Action
Update and share the ambulance checklist and written assessment procedure with staff.
Stated by Peaks & Plains Housing Trust
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Action
Check that the assessment procedure is embedded through team discussions, one-to-ones and spot checks.
Stated by Peaks & Plains Housing Trust
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Concerns raised2
Lack of GP awareness of NICE head-injury guidelines for patients treated with warfarin
Failure to admit patients with head injuries treated with warfarin to hospital forthwith
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
Develop a Patient Safety Notice raising awareness of NICE head-injury guidance for local health boards and general practices.
Stated by Welsh Government -
Action
Issue the Patient Safety Notice to all local health boards and general practices in Wales.
Stated by Welsh Government -
Action
Monitor compliance with the Patient Safety Notice after circulation.
Stated by Welsh Government
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to refer suspected head injuries to the A&E team
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.2
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Action
Exclude children with head injuries, children conveyed by ambulance, and babies aged six months or under from the streaming protocol.
Stated by NHS Luton Clinical Commissioning Group -
Action
Review the streaming process and all adult and child streaming protocols, including exclusion criteria and consideration of triage before streaming.
Stated by NHS Luton Clinical Commissioning Group
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Concerns raised1
Failure to ensure awareness of bleeding risk after head injury in elderly patients taking warfarin
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
Lack of clear written guidance for responding to potential head injuries in elderly residents receiving medication affecting blood clotting
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
Develop a policy identifying procedures and checks for suspected stroke cases involving medication that affects blood clotting.
Stated by Cumbria County Council -
Action
Cascade the new policy throughout the organisation and to the wider adult social care workforce through Services Care Sector Alliance Cumbria.
Stated by Cumbria County Council
Data last updated 7 September 2026