First reported 13 Feb 2014•Latest report 12 Mar 2026
Definition
What this concern includes
Includes deficiencies in the availability, adequacy or geographic provision of psychiatric inpatient beds, including resulting admission delays and dedicated bed-allocation or patient-flow measures used to manage the shortage.
Not included
Excludes generic acute hospital or emergency-department bed shortages that are not specifically psychiatric.
Excludes general discharge-planning, discharge-documentation or medication failures unless they are explicitly identified as part of managing psychiatric inpatient bed capacity.
Excludes training, communication or staffing deficiencies that are not dedicated to psychiatric inpatient capacity management.
Excludes the safety of an individual discharge where the underlying recurring concern is not insufficient psychiatric inpatient bed capacity.
Reports
67
Distinct published reports
Individual concerns
79
A report can raise multiple concerns
Date range
2014–2026
First to latest report issue date
Stated actions
185
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.
Department of Health and Social Care41
NHS England33
NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board10
Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust7
NHS Devon Integrated Care Board3
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board3
NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board3
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust3
Birmingham City Council2
Care Quality Commission2
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust2
Department for Education2
Devon Partnership NHS Trust2
Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership2
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust2
Ministerial department41
Executive non-departmental public body34
NHS trust29
Integrated care board27
Clinical commissioning group2
English metropolitan district council2
Health and social care service regulator2
Health-system partnership2
Police force2
Domiciliary care provider1
Health and care professional regulator1
Healthcare site1
London borough council1
Private limited company1
Professional body1
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.
South Yorkshire (Western)
Concerns raised1
Unavailability of psychiatric beds in the area
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Cornwall
Concerns raised1
Lack of acute psychiatric beds in Cornwall
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 concerns
Each 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
Position
Responsibility for commissioning acute mental health inpatient services in Cornwall rests with NHS Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Nottinghamshire
Concerns raised1
Lack of inpatient beds for mentally ill children and adolescents
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 concerns
Each 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
Action
Invest in inpatient CAMHS capacity and increase eating-disorder bed availability in the East Midlands and nationally.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 14 July 2015.
Action
Commission specialist inpatient eating-disorder units nationally.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 14 July 2015.
Action
Plan a procurement process to commission inpatient beds according to assessed need rather than historical provision.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 14 July 2015.
Action
Provide £7 million to expand children’s and adolescents’ mental health provision, including Tier 4 beds, case managers, access protocols and case management.
Stated by George Freeman MPStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 14 July 2015.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Position
NHS England understood that inpatient beds were available when the death occurred, disputing a premise of insufficient bed availability.
Stated by NHS EnglandDisputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
Cornwall
Concerns raised1
Lack of acute psychiatric beds
Responses linked to these concerns
Each 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
Action
Set out in the Mandate that plans must ensure people in mental health crisis are not turned away.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 6 February 2015.
Action
Work with providers and service users to develop alternatives to hospital admission and enable earlier assessment and intervention.
Stated by NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care BoardStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 6 February 2015.
Action
Assign alternative funding to support least-restrictive community care and interventions specified in individual care plans.
Stated by NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care BoardStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 6 February 2015.
Action
Review out-of-county placements and current provision with providers to inform future commissioning and service delivery.
Stated by NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care BoardStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 6 February 2015.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Position
Decisions about the appropriate number of mental health beds in Cornwall are for local clinicians to make.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Exeter & Greater Devon
Concerns raised2
Failure to provide locally accessible child psychiatric inpatient care
Insufficient availability of child psychiatric inpatient beds
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each 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
Action
Commission additional general CAMHS and psychiatric intensive-care capacity from existing providers, targeting 50 additional beds nationally.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 19 November 2014.
Action
Reopen Wessex House in phases to provide twelve generic CAMHS beds in the South West.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 19 November 2014.
Action
Commission additional Huntercombe capacity in Torquay, comprising six generic and four psychiatric intensive-care beds, through phased opening.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 19 November 2014.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
Position
The review identified contributory issues but could not conclusively establish that suicide would have been prevented without them or that distance caused the death.
Stated by NHS EnglandDisputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
Position
Finding an available psychiatric bed is the responsibility of the referring community CAMHS team.
Stated by NHS EnglandRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
The Wirral
Concerns raised1
Lack of a Mother and Baby Perinatal Mental Health inpatient unit in the Liverpool City Region
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each 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
Action
Develop and nationally consult on a specification for specialised perinatal mental health services.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 23 May 2014.
Action
Contact NHS England network representatives and discuss commissioning inpatient mother-and-baby units at the next available regional Perinatal Group.
Stated by NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning GroupStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 23 May 2014.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
Position
Regional commissioning and the Manchester Mother and Baby Unit are considered sufficient for North West demand, with neighbouring units available when necessary.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareExisting arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Position
Commissioning mother and baby units is the responsibility of NHS England’s Specialised Commissioning, not the CCG.
Stated by NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning GroupRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Inner West London
Concerns raised1
Shortage of local general adult psychiatric inpatient beds
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 concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
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Includes deficiencies in the availability, adequacy or geographic provision of psychiatric inpatient beds, including resulting admission delays and dedicated bed-allocation or patient-flow measures used to manage the shortage.
