Recurring concern
Failure to seek medical attention when a person's condition warrants it
- Reports that mention this concern
- 56
- Times this concern has been raised
- 61
- Stated actions linked to this concern
- 81
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.
What is 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.
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 56 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
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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.
Linked response
- Eldercare (UK) Limited
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
-
Eldercare (UK) Limited
Integrate a pain-assessment profile into the client assessment process and review the revised process with the service committee.
-
Eldercare (UK) Limited
Redesign the investigation checklist with STOP alerts, defined sections, clearer larger formatting, and clarified second-responder accuracy checks.
-
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.
Linked responses
- Care First Class (UK) Limited
- Care Quality Commission
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
-
Care First Class (UK) Limited
Disseminate the falls protocol to staff and incorporate it into new-staff induction.
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Care First Class (UK) Limited
Include the falls policy in recorded staff supervision to clarify responsibilities after a resident fall.
-
Care First Class (UK) Limited
Add the falls policy to staff-meeting agendas as a lessons-learned item.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Care Quality Commission
The Registered Provider is responsible for ensuring staff competence, training, and compliance with care plans, risk assessments, policies and procedures.
-
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.
Linked response
- North West Ambulance Service 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
-
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Revise the call-termination guidance and circulate it to all EOC supervisors.
-
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Brief all call takers individually on the revised guidance and obtain signed confirmation that they understand it.
-
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Establish a reminder system to prompt periodic recirculation of call-termination guidance to call takers.
-
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Produce an incident-based case study and use it in scheduled training and workshops for new and existing call takers.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
The emergency call was processed correctly and received the correct response code based on the information provided.
-
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.
Linked responses
- Department of Health and Social Care
- Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
-
Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
QVH disputes that its lack of on-site specialists prevents access to specialist opinion, because agreements with BSUH provide specialist advice and imaging.
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Department of Health and Social Care
NHS Improvement, NHS England, and the Care Quality Commission, working with the Trust and commissioners, were responsible for ensuring appropriate action.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Linked response
- University Hospitals Sussex 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
-
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
Assign a critical care outreach nurse to link the Acute Medical Unit with critical care services.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Data last updated 7 September 2026