Recurring concern
Failure of echocardiography services to provide timely diagnostic assessment and follow-up
- Reports that mention this concern
- 9
- Times this concern has been raised
- 10
- Stated actions linked to this concern
- 15
What this concern includes
Includes failures dedicated to the echocardiography service or pathway, including timely access or availability, performance of clinically indicated echocardiograms, and timely review, communication or follow-up of echocardiography results.
What is not included
- Excludes failures concerning other diagnostic investigations unless the report expressly ties them to the echocardiography service.
- Excludes generic staffing, appointment, information-management or governance deficiencies that are not specifically dedicated to echocardiography.
- Excludes clinical decisions or treatment failures occurring after echocardiography unless they concern the timely review, communication or follow-up of its results.
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 9 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
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Concerns raised2
Lack of a system ensuring timely review and consideration of echocardiography results
Lack of a pathway for echocardiography teams to flag results to clinical teams
Linked response
- North Middlesex University Hospital
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
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North Middlesex University Hospital
Operate and update the echocardiography escalation protocol, including senior review routes and a new criterion for pulmonary hypertension findings.
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North Middlesex University Hospital
Automatically book cancelled appointments into the next available follow-up slot and escalate repeated service cancellations for senior clinical review.
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North Middlesex University Hospital
Operate and annually review the echocardiography escalation pathway, including escalation of significant abnormalities and the added criterion for new pulmonary hypertension.
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North Middlesex University Hospital
Automatically book cancelled appointments into the next available follow-up slot and escalate repeated service cancellations to the Cardiology service manager for senior review.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
-
North Middlesex University Hospital
An established echocardiography escalation pathway and protocol adequately address significant abnormal findings.
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North Middlesex University Hospital
An established echocardiography escalation pathway and protocol are considered sufficient to address significant abnormal findings.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to undertake interval cardiac scans or echocardiograms to check for deterioration
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
Lack of routine echocardiograms for babies born to mothers with diabetes
This report raised 9 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Department of Health and Social Care
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Department of Health and Social Care
Whether additional fetal echocardiography is offered depends on individual risk assessment and the treating clinician’s discretion.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to obtain echocardiography for critically unwell patients in shock
This report raised 21 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
- Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine
- NHS Central East Integrated Care Board
- North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal College of Emergency Medicine
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.6
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Royal College of Emergency Medicine
Include focused cardiac ultrasound for shock assessment in the emergency medicine training curriculum.
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North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust
Provide echocardiography training to trainees.
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Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine
Review HiLLO descriptors and consider clarifying echocardiography training and skills requirements.
-
Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine
Consult on GPICS version 3 guidance, including standards for echocardiography access, image storage, training and quality assurance.
-
Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine
Work with hospital cardiology service providers to improve reliable access to emergent out-of-hours echocardiography.
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NHS Central East Integrated Care Board
Work with providers to gain assurance that critically ill patients have 24/7 access to transthoracic or focused echocardiography.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
-
Royal College of Emergency Medicine
Pre-arrest focused cardiac ultrasound was not a reasonable expectation because the applicable emergency medicine curriculum did not include shock assessment.
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North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust
The case was not caused by inability to perform echocardiography; appropriately trained clinicians could have performed the procedure if cardiogenic shock was suspected.
-
Concerns raised1
Shortage of suitably qualified professionals to carry out essential cardiac tests
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- NHS England
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
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NHS England
Deliver the Long-Term Workforce Plan, including expanded education, training, recruitment, retention, and strategic workforce planning.
-
NHS England
Support local services to recover elective care, reduce waiting times, improve diagnostic turnaround, and create additional capacity for complex and urgent care.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
NHS England
NHS Trusts, rather than NHS England, are responsible for ensuring safe staffing levels in day-to-day hospital operations.
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Concerns raised1
Unclear responsibility for expediting required echocardiograms
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Oxford University Hospitals 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
-
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Clarify and agree the urgent echocardiogram process, including criteria, responsibilities, timescales, multidisciplinary discussion and escalation.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
An existing Trust process governs urgent echocardiogram requests, including responsibility, timescales, multidisciplinary discussion and escalation.
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Concerns raised1
Insufficient trans-oesophageal echocardiogram resources
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
Delayed availability of echocardiogram results
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King'S Lynn, 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
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the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King'S Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust
Develop and implement an electronic reporting system for test results, including echocardiography.
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Concerns raised1
Unavailability of echocardiography facilities after 5.00pm
This report raised 11 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care 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
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Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Review out-of-hours CRI provision and explore procurement of a portable echocardiogram machine.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Existing capacity and demand mean echocardiography can currently be provided only during daytime hours, while out-of-hours provision is being explored.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Data last updated 7 September 2026