Recurring concern
Failure to enable professional challenge of clinical decisions
- Reports that mention this concern
- 5
- Times this concern has been raised
- 5
- Stated actions linked to this concern
- 9
What this concern includes
Includes failures of clinical-care arrangements, culture or supervision that prevent or discourage staff from raising, discussing or escalating a material challenge to another clinician's decision, including challenges to discharge decisions and differing findings between junior doctors and consultants.
What is not included
- Excludes generic speaking-up, communication or workplace-culture concerns where no clinical decision or patient-safety challenge is involved.
- Excludes poor clinical decisions where no failure to enable, receive or act on professional challenge is identified.
- Excludes failures of formal complaints, incident reporting or whistleblowing systems unless the asserted unsafe condition is specifically the inability to challenge a clinical decision during care.
- Excludes disagreements that were appropriately raised, considered and resolved without an identified safety deficiency.
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.
Reports and published responses 5 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to challenge a Consultant's view to discharge
This report raised 7 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- East Suffolk and North Essex 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
-
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Implement Martha’s Rule, including daily patient check-ins, rapid review access and advertised escalation routes for concerns about deterioration, treatment or discharge planning.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to encourage junior doctors to challenge or discuss differing findings with consultant colleagues
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Betsi Cadwaladr University LHB
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
-
Betsi Cadwaladr University LHB
Issue and distribute a safety alert sharing learning and reinforcing listening to differing professional views, including junior clinicians’ concerns.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to promote and facilitate professional challenge
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS 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
-
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Pilot CTG interpretation training covering SBAR handover, escalation and professional challenge, with competency assessment and planned online rollout.
-
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Embed CTG, SBAR, escalation and professional-challenge concepts into multiprofessional emergency training and in-situ skills drills.
-
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Update the Maternity Communication guideline to incorporate CTG, SBAR, escalation and professional-challenge concepts.
-
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Hold communication events enabling staff to meet leadership and raise professional challenges.
-
Concerns raised1
Inability of junior staff to challenge or review clinical decisions
This report raised 9 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Local Health Board
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
-
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Local Health Board
Implement an organisational development plan supporting multidisciplinary teamwork and clinical leadership in maternity services.
-
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Local Health Board
Deliver Royal College of Midwives-supported clinical leadership and team-working study days.
-
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Local Health Board
Provide multidisciplinary PROMPT training and reflection opportunities focused on emergency communication and caesarean-section decision-making.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure of multidisciplinary team members to challenge incorrect clinical decisions
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
No linked response statementsNo 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.
Data last updated 7 September 2026