Recurring concern
Unreliable management of patients returning to emergency departments soon after discharge
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Request correctionFirst reported 2 May 2019•Latest report 28 Jun 2023
What this concern includes
Includes failures in the dedicated process for managing patients who return to an emergency department soon after discharge, including timely assessment, consultant or appropriately senior review, consistent decisions about observation or admission, escalation of abnormal findings and coordination across paediatric or other relevant emergency services.
Not included
- Excludes general emergency-department waiting-time, triage, admission or medical-review failures when the patient has not returned soon after discharge.
- Excludes failures in treatment, follow-up or discharge planning after the return episode has been safely assessed and managed.
- Excludes generic staffing, communication or documentation deficiencies unless they directly impair management of a short-interval emergency-department return.
- Excludes routine planned returns or outpatient attendances that are not unscheduled returns requiring reassessment after recent discharge.
- Do not duplicate the broader existing concern concerning timely medical review of emergency-department patients where the assertion lacks the short-interval return-after-discharge qualifier.
- Reports
- 4
- Individual concerns
- 4
- Date range
- 2019–2023
- Stated actions
- 5
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
Failure to escalate eligible emergency department patients for consultant review
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.
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
Implement a policy empowering any multiprofessional team member to escalate delayed assessment or transfer to the consultant on call.
Stated by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Deliver an education programme on escalation for delayed assessment or transfer from August 2023.
Stated by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Deliver direct teaching and display laminated posters in acute surgical areas at all acute sites by 31 October 2023.
Stated by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
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
Responsibility for addressing emergency department patient volume rests with the Department of Health and Social Care.
Stated by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Lack of familiarity with guidance requiring consultant discussion of unexpected returns within 72 hours
This report raised 6 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.2
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Action
Work with Information Technology to add a 72-hour reattendance alert requiring consultant advice before discharge.
Stated by George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust -
Action
Audit patients reattending within 72 hours for consultant referral before discharge and share the findings within UEC and at Trust-wide Audit Day.
Stated by George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust
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
Overseas-qualified doctors undergo Royal College accreditation, including assessment of familiarity with relevant guidance, on the same basis as UK-trained doctors.
Stated by George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust
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Concerns raised1
Delays in assessment of severely ill patients returning to A&E
This report raised 9 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
Variation in admission for observation of paediatric patients returning to the Emergency Department
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.
Data last updated 7 September 2026