Recurring concern
Unreliable allocation and referral of welfare support between police and ambulance services
Pin
Get email alerts
Request correctionFirst reported 25 Jun 2018•Latest report 25 May 2025
What this concern includes
Includes failures in the bounded police-to-ambulance welfare-support interface, including unclear responsibility, inappropriate allocation of welfare checks, unfamiliar referral routes, delayed ambulance contact and arrangements that leave police providing welfare support that should be provided by the ambulance service.
Not included
- Excludes general ambulance response delays, ambulance capacity shortages or clinical ambulance triage failures where no police-to-ambulance welfare-support allocation or referral issue is identified.
- Excludes routine non-urgent social-welfare checks allocated within social-care services when no police-to-ambulance welfare-support interface is involved.
- Excludes generic inter-agency communication or coordination deficiencies without a specific welfare-concern allocation or referral context.
- Excludes police assistance provided as part of an appropriate emergency response where the welfare-support allocation and referral arrangements are otherwise reliable.
- Reports
- 5
- Individual concerns
- 5
- Date range
- 2018–2025
- Stated actions
- 10
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
Reliance on call takers to bring cross-agency welfare concerns to operational managers
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 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
Train contact-centre staff, supervisors, and managers on Right Care Right Person and escalation procedures through peer training and updated training packages.
Stated by West Yorkshire Police -
Action
Implement and operate a widened WYP–YAS escalation process with approved procedures, digital documentation, daily review, and monthly partnership learning meetings.
Stated by West Yorkshire Police
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Position
West Yorkshire Police states RCRP did not change existing processes, which were already governed by established welfare and escalation policies.
Stated by West Yorkshire Police
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to call an ambulance promptly following a concern for welfare call
This report raised 5 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
Train officers requiring additional medical support to telephone 999 from the scene so operators can liaise directly and allocate resources.
Stated by Devon & Cornwall Police -
Action
Require officers using the police control room to explain why they cannot call 999 directly, and train police and ambulance personnel to record relevant information when liaising.
Stated by Devon & Cornwall Police
-
Concerns raised1
Unclear and delayed police-to-ambulance referral process for welfare concerns
This report raised 13 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
Review, revise and enhance multi-agency procedures through sessions involving all named partner organisations.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board -
Action
Develop a pan-Greater Manchester response protocol defining roles, responsibilities, shared risk assessment, communication and escalation arrangements.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board -
Action
Embed the response protocols within partner agencies and cascade them across their workforces through the Responding to Crisis Board.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to request police assistance for welfare checks when ambulance resources are constrained
This report raised 5 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
Raise overdose welfare checks with police and seek a formal memorandum-of-understanding extension.
Stated by Cardiff & Vale University LHB and Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
-
Concerns raised1
Reliance on Police to provide necessary welfare support
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.2
-
Action
Implement procedures safeguarding fallen patients’ welfare while they await an ambulance.
Stated by South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Implement a Patient Welfare Procedure requiring Support Call Takers to work with Clinical Navigators to manage waiting calls clinically.
Stated by South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Data last updated 7 September 2026