Failure to ensure essential clinical equipment and supplies are available and serviceable
First to latest report 30 Aug 2013 — 8 May 2026
Reports that mention this concern
41
Times this concern has been raised
46
Stated actions linked to this concern
43
What this concern includes
Includes availability, stock, checking, maintenance or servicing failures that leave essential clinical equipment or supplies unavailable or unfit for use.
What is not included
Excludes non-clinical equipment and vehicle, environmental, or recreational-equipment checks.
Excludes failures concerning the operation or use of equipment during care when no equipment-readiness or serviceability check is implicated.
Excludes generic staffing, training, documentation, audit, or supervision deficiencies unless they are specifically tied to the reliability of daily clinical-equipment serviceability checks.
Excludes checks of patient condition, care processes, messages, or other non-equipment objects.
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 England6
Department of Health and Social Care4
Care Quality Commission3
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust2
General Pharmaceutical Council2
Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership2
Royal College of Physicians2
Association Of Anaesthetists (Great Britain & Ireland)1
Avenue House Nursing and Care Home1
Ayuntamiento de La Oliva1
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust1
Barts Health NHS Trust1
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust1
Brunswick Ward at Lindridge1
Care UK1
NHS trust22
Healthcare site10
Executive non-departmental public body7
Ministerial department4
Private limited company4
Health and care professional regulator3
Health and social care service regulator3
Health professional body3
Integrated care board3
Executive agency2
Health-system partnership2
Independent healthcare provider2
Nursing home2
Registered charity2
Residential care home2
Reports and published responses 41 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
Manchester South
Concerns raised1
Shortage of Braun’s Frames for safe leg elevation
This report raised 7 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
Stockport 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.1
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
Purchase and provide four additional Braun frames for Ward D1, increasing the hospital total to eight.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
There is no direct evidence that limb elevation reduces venous thromboembolism, and the elevation method does not affect that risk.
Disputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Concerns raised1
Unavailability and non-use of standard physiological observation equipment for mothers and babies
This report raised 13 other concerns. 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.
Warwickshire
Concerns raised2
Unavailability of working suction equipment on wards
Lack of an effective procedure for checking suction equipment on wards
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
West Yorkshire (Western)
Concerns raised1
Lack of suction equipment for clearing airways
This report raised 4 other concerns. 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.
Portsmouth and South East Hampshire
Concerns raised1
Unavailability of useful equipment in nursing home emergency resuscitation packs
This report raised 3 other concerns. 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.
Worcestershire
Concerns raised1
Unavailability and poor identification of required traction equipment
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital 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.3
the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Expand on-site spinal equipment and establish a central store for traction apparatus.
the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Enhance the internal equipment register to identify traction equipment held elsewhere.
the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Develop pictorial traction-equipment guidance and respond to related staff training and orientation needs.
Manchester West
Concerns raised1
Lack of mandatory carriage of airway adjuncts, suction equipment, bag-valve-mask equipment and defibrillators on all aircraft
Linked responses
Dame Deirdre Hutton
European Union Aviation Safety Agency
Irish Aviation Authority
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
European Union Aviation Safety Agency
Engage Member States to reconsider defibrillator carriage through available-data analysis and an initial discussion at the scheduled advisory-group meeting.
Irish Aviation Authority
Write to Ryanair about carrying AEDs on its fleet.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.6
Dame Deirdre Hutton
Passengers are not at increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest, which is exceptionally rare on short-haul flights, and defibrillators often do not succeed.
Disputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
Dame Deirdre Hutton
Existing voluntary carriage, regulatory consideration requirements and evidence review make mandating general carriage of this equipment currently difficult to justify.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Dame Deirdre Hutton
The UK cannot act alone to introduce legal changes because mandating the equipment would require significant international agreement.
Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
Dame Deirdre Hutton
EASA must consider regulatory changes for EU operators, while ICAO must consider them for non-European operators.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Irish Aviation Authority
Existing EASA and ICAO arrangements, including operator risk assessments, are considered sufficient; AED carriage is not strictly required.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Irish Aviation Authority
Operators are responsible for deciding whether to carry AEDs based on the particular needs and risk assessment of each operation.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
London (East)
Concerns raised1
Failure to make flexible sigmoidoscopy equipment available out of hours
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.
Cheshire
Concerns raised1
Failure to check defibrillator equipment daily for serviceability
This report raised 3 other concerns. 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.
Manchester South
Concerns raised1
Unavailability of a Gum-elastic Bougie Airway on the crash trolley
This report raised 8 other concerns. 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.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.