Recurring concern
Failure to seek medical attention when a person's condition warrants it
Pin
Get email alerts
Request correctionFirst reported 5 Sep 2013•Latest report 16 Jun 2026
What this concern includes
Includes failures to recognise the need for and promptly seek medical, paramedic or other appropriate clinical assistance when a person's injury, pain, fall, deterioration or other condition warrants it, including failures in care homes and emergency-response settings.
Not included
- Excludes delays or failures occurring after medical assistance has already been requested, including ambulance attendance or hospital handover delays.
- Excludes failures limited to the quality of assessment or treatment after medical assistance has been obtained.
- Excludes failures to seek advice about routine care arrangements where no immediate or clinically warranted need for medical attention is identified.
- Excludes generic staffing, training, communication or documentation deficiencies unless they directly result in failure to seek warranted medical attention.
- Reports
- 56
- Individual concerns
- 61
- Date range
- 2013–2026
- Stated actions
- 81
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.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to seek medical or paramedic assistance when warranted by a person's condition
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 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
-
Action
Integrate a pain-assessment profile into the client assessment process and review the revised process with the service committee.
Stated by Eldercare (UK) Limited -
Action
Redesign the investigation checklist with STOP alerts, defined sections, clearer larger formatting, and clarified second-responder accuracy checks.
Stated by Eldercare (UK) Limited
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to follow the falls protocol requiring immobilisation and medical attention after a painful fall
This report raised 7 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
-
Action
Disseminate the falls protocol to staff and incorporate it into new-staff induction.
Stated by Care First Class (UK) Limited -
Action
Include the falls policy in recorded staff supervision to clarify responsibilities after a resident fall.
Stated by Care First Class (UK) Limited -
Action
Add the falls policy to staff-meeting agendas as a lessons-learned item.
Stated by Care First Class (UK) Limited
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Position
The Registered Provider is responsible for ensuring staff competence, training, and compliance with care plans, risk assessments, policies and procedures.
Stated by Care Quality Commission
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to escalate the urgency of requirements for medical assistance
This report raised 3 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.4
-
Action
Revise the call-termination guidance and circulate it to all EOC supervisors.
Stated by North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust -
Action
Brief all call takers individually on the revised guidance and obtain signed confirmation that they understand it.
Stated by North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust -
Action
Establish a reminder system to prompt periodic recirculation of call-termination guidance to call takers.
Stated by North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
-
Action
Produce an incident-based case study and use it in scheduled training and workshops for new and existing call takers.
Stated by North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Position
The emergency call was processed correctly and received the correct response code based on the information provided.
Stated by North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to seek expert advice during daytime working hours
This report raised 14 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.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
-
Position
QVH disputes that its lack of on-site specialists prevents access to specialist opinion, because agreements with BSUH provide specialist advice and imaging.
Stated by Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Position
NHS Improvement, NHS England, and the Care Quality Commission, working with the Trust and commissioners, were responsible for ensuring appropriate action.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to obtain medical or nursing help urgently when appropriate
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 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.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to seek doctors' input when presentation or level of risk changes
This report raised 7 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.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to request obstetric review for maternal tachycardia
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.
-
Concerns raised1
Absence of a lower threshold for recommending face-to-face medical review
This report raised 8 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.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to seek medical advice when a prisoner is apparently unwell
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.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to escalate NEWS scores to doctors
This report raised 24 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.1
-
Action
Assign a critical care outreach nurse to link the Acute Medical Unit with critical care services.
Stated by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
Data last updated 7 September 2026