Recurring concern
Failure to reliably transfer medical records between healthcare organisations
- Reports that mention this concern
- 29
- Times this concern has been raised
- 30
- Stated actions linked to this concern
- 47
What this concern includes
Includes failures in the dedicated transfer of existing medical records between healthcare organisations, including delayed, incomplete, untraceable or systemically unsupported transfer between GP practices, hospitals, mental-health services or other healthcare organisations where the records are needed for safe care.
What is not included
- Excludes generic inter-agency information-sharing failures where the asserted object is not medical records or an equivalent clinical record transfer.
- Excludes failures to create, complete or accurately maintain records when transfer or inter-organisational availability is not the unsafe condition.
- Excludes failures limited to reviewing or acting on records after they have been reliably transferred and made available.
- Excludes transfer of non-clinical records, administrative documents or information between organisations without a healthcare medical-record context.
- Excludes communication of isolated clinical advice or results where the dedicated medical-record transfer process is not deficient.
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 29 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
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Concerns raised1
Failure of electronic records systems to support transfer of clinical information between mental health and physical health specialists
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Department of Health and Social Care
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
-
Department of Health and Social Care
Issues concerning Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust should be addressed in the Trust’s response.
-
Department of Health and Social Care
Shared care records are considered a safe and secure way to bring together separate records from different health and care organisations.
-
Concerns raised1
Lack of integrated electronic access to medical and treatment records between treating teams
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Swansea Bay 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.1
-
Swansea Bay University Local Health Board
Enable two-way WCCIS information sharing between Swansea community mental health and drug and alcohol teams.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
-
Swansea Bay University Local Health Board
Further WCCIS rollout is on hold pending Welsh Government approval of National Programme Team recommendations.
-
Swansea Bay University Local Health Board
The Local Authority must request and implement any amendments to WCCIS system functionality.
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Concerns raised1
Lack of rapid access to NHS records on admission to a private hospital
This report raised 1 other concern. 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.1
-
NHS England
Review national guidance on risk assessments.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
NHS England
Implementation and operation of shared care records is assigned to Integrated Care Boards.
-
Concerns raised1
Delays in transferring GP medical notes between practices
Linked response
- Department of Health and Social Care
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
-
Department of Health and Social Care
Invest in technology to improve patient care through the General Practice Forward View.
-
Department of Health and Social Care
Increase electronic transfer of health records between general practices through the General Practice Forward View.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to print medical notes and other documents from the Trust IT system in shared premises
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
- Department of Health and Social Care
- Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys 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
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Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
Increase Liaison Team overnight staffing to two staff members.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
-
Department of Health and Social Care
Operational processes for locally commissioned mental health services are the responsibility of local NHS providers and their commissioning partners.
-
Department of Health and Social Care
Enforcement action was not required because the regulator concluded there was no ongoing risk to service users.
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Concerns raised1
Lack of care summaries when complex patients transfer between GP surgeries
Linked response
- Royal College of General Practitioners
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Royal College of General Practitioners
Primary Care Support England, rather than the College, is responsible for the system of transferring GP records.
-
Concerns raised1
Lack of shared patient care records across health care departments
This report raised 1 other concern. 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
Develop a shared care record for Derby and Derbyshire to address information-sharing problems across multiple healthcare providers.
-
NHS England
Task the Learning from Deaths Forum with considering system improvements alongside the move to a shared care record.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
NHS England
Coordination and management of discharge care plans fall outside NHS Digital’s area of responsibility.
-
Concerns raised1
Delays in transferring patients' medical notes and history to GP practices
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care 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.2
-
NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board
Enable all Derby and Derbyshire general practices to use GP2GP electronic record transfer.
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NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board
Offer Ashbourne Medical Practice additional GP2GP and electronic record transfer training.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to transfer complete patient data when patients move between general practices
This report raised 1 other concern. 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
Review and address root causes of electronic GP2GP record-transfer failures.
-
NHS England
Increase the GP2GP transfer file-size limit from 50MB to 100MB.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to transfer the full medical records and past medical history to the new substance misuse service
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
- Hopwood House Medical Practice
- Turning Point
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
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Turning Point
Complete a wide-ranging review of GP communication across all community substance misuse services.
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Turning Point
Improve processes for transferring client data at the beginning and end of contracts.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Hopwood House Medical Practice
The commissioned provider is responsible for resolving transfer of full records when a new provider takes over.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Data last updated 7 September 2026