Failure to provide face-to-face clinical assessment when clinically indicated
First to latest report 10 Oct 2013 — 14 Jan 2026
Reports that mention this concern
21
Times this concern has been raised
21
Stated actions linked to this concern
24
What this concern includes
Includes failures in clinical assessment processes where face-to-face assessment is clinically indicated but is omitted, not offered, not required by policy, or replaced by remote contact without an adequate safety threshold; include the anchor and comparable primary-care or community-care assertions.
What is not included
Excludes failures limited to telephone mental health assessment, which belong to the separately named mental-health telephone-assessment concern when that is the supported boundary.
Excludes remote consultations where the report does not identify a clinically indicated need for face-to-face assessment.
Excludes failures in treatment, referral, follow-up or diagnostic testing after an adequate face-to-face assessment has occurred.
Excludes generic access, staffing or communication deficiencies unless they directly result in failure to provide clinically indicated face-to-face assessment.
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.
Department of Health and Social Care7
NHS England2
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board2
49 Marine Avenue Surgery1
Ayurvedic Professionals Association1
Belmont Health Centre1
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust1
Care Quality Commission1
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust1
East London NHS Foundation Trust1
General Medical Council1
General Pharmaceutical Council1
Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership1
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust1
Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust1
NHS trust9
Ministerial department7
Healthcare site5
Integrated care board3
Executive non-departmental public body2
Company limited by guarantee1
English unitary authority1
Health and care professional regulator1
Health and social care service regulator1
Health professional body1
Health-system partnership1
Independent healthcare provider1
Medicines and medical devices regulator1
Multi-service care provider1
Professional body1
Reports and published responses 21 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
Inner North London
Concerns raised1
Failure to arrange an in-person physical examination
This report raised 11 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Manchester South
Concerns raised1
Failure to provide face-to-face GP assessment when deterioration may be present
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
North Trafford Group Practice
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.5
North Trafford Group Practice
Review systems for recording and prioritising consultation and home-visit requests.
North Trafford Group Practice
Remind reception staff to record every home-visit request in the clinical system for clinician assessment.
North Trafford Group Practice
Reinforce home-visit request recording requirements through reception staff orientation and training.
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
Progress the Greater Manchester access action plan to increase general-practice capacity and appointments, expand face-to-face GP access, reduce avoidable demand, and improve healthcare inequalities.
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
Review the balance between remote and face-to-face consultations across Greater Manchester general practices.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
Existing digital systems provide clinician-triaged access to telephone, video, face-to-face consultations or home visits, with alternatives for patients unable to use them.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
CQC and NHS England will make required improvements across practices that do not meet patients’ reasonable needs.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Leicester City and South Leicestershire
Concerns raised1
Lack of required face-to-face consultation before dispensing drugs
This report raised 7 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Care Quality Commission
General Medical Council
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
General Medical Council
Launch a call for evidence on remote consultations and prescribing to assess whether existing guidance remained appropriate for changing practice and technology.
General Medical Council
Publish updated prescribing guidance covering remote consultation suitability, information sharing, patient dialogue, and safeguards for controlled or potentially addictive medicines.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Care Quality Commission
Online consultations and prescribing without face-to-face assessment can be safe where appropriate safeguards, history-taking, GP engagement and monitoring exist.
Disputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
Manchester South
Concerns raised1
Predominant use of telephone appointments instead of face-to-face or video appointments
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
Tameside Borough Council
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 Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board and Tameside Borough Council
Encourage general practices to provide face-to-face consultations where clinically appropriate alongside remote triage.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board and Tameside Borough Council
General practices were not predominantly using telephone appointments; over half of appointments were face to face, with additional home visits.
Disputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board and Tameside Borough Council
National and local guidance already required remote triage, risk stratification, oximetry and escalation pathways for potentially high-risk Covid-19 patients.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Inner West London
Concerns raised1
Failure to provide early and ongoing in-person assessment by a fully qualified psychiatrist
This report raised 11 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Inner North London
Concerns raised1
Failure to provide timely face-to-face psychiatric assessment after worsened-condition referral
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
East London 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.2
East London NHS Foundation Trust
Require escalation of Home Treatment referrals not seen within 48 hours to a consultant psychiatrist or team manager for prioritised review.
East London NHS Foundation Trust
Provide routine doctor review within 72 hours for Home Treatment referrals without prior professional assessment, with out-of-hours emergency review by on-call psychiatry.
West Yorkshire (Western)
Concerns raised1
Remote diagnosis without face-to-face assessment
This report raised 8 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
County Durham and Darlington
Concerns raised1
Failure to obtain or require face-to-face assessment when clinically indicated
This report raised 7 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
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.2
Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
Remind staff to explore and use alternative venues for appointments.
Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
Share recommendations with the crisis team and reinforce consultation with colleagues and medical staff for complex assessments.
Inner South London
Concerns raised1
Unavailability of timely physician assessment for acutely ill psychiatric-facility patients
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Worcestershire
Concerns raised1
Failure to provide timely face-to-face assessment of patients at high risk of concealed suicide
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.