First reported 28 Feb 2025•Latest report 20 Aug 2025
Definition
What this concern includes
Includes failures in the bounded police–ambulance process for coordinating patient transport assistance, including communication, responsibility allocation, requests for police support, transport arrangements and escalation when assistance is needed.
Not included
Excludes generic inter-agency communication failures where police and ambulance transport assistance is not the shared safety condition.
Excludes ambulance dispatch, response-capacity and hospital-handover failures that do not concern coordination of transport assistance.
Excludes failures in the clinical assessment or treatment of a patient after transport assistance has been reliably arranged.
Excludes routine patient transport or transport failures involving neither police assistance nor the same coordinated police–ambulance transport process.
Reports
2
Distinct published reports
Individual concerns
2
A report can raise multiple concerns
Date range
2025–2025
First to latest report issue date
Stated actions
3
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.
Department of Health and Social Care1
Greater Manchester Police1
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust1
Oldham Borough Council1
Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust1
English metropolitan district council1
Ministerial department1
NHS trust1
Police force1
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.
Manchester North
Concerns raised1
Ineffective communication between police and ambulance services during transport 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 concerns
Each 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
Deliver the developed mental-health protocol briefing to all frontline officers force-wide.
Stated by Greater Manchester PoliceStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 1 September 2025.
Action
Introduce daily operational huddles between GMP dispatch managers and NWAS managers to improve real-time coordination.
Stated by Greater Manchester PoliceStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 1 September 2025.
Action
Conduct ongoing knowledge-sharing visits between FCCO staff and NWAS control rooms, with designated SPOCs cascading learning.
Stated by Greater Manchester PoliceStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 1 September 2025.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.4
Position
NWAS disputes that communication was ineffective, stating communication was good and the delay resulted from an individual incorrect police decision.
Stated by North West Ambulance Service NHS TrustDisputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
Position
Existing NWAS-GMP protocols and established communication arrangements are presented as effective for managing cooperation and transport of mental health patients.
Stated by North West Ambulance Service NHS TrustExisting arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Position
GMP is responsible for addressing the incorrect individual police decision not to attend and support NWAS.
Stated by North West Ambulance Service NHS TrustRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Position
Communication between GMP and NWAS occurred and was constructive, disputing the concern that communication was ineffective.
Stated by Greater Manchester PoliceDisputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Concerns raised1
Failure to share information about ambulance delays between police and ambulance services
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 concerns
Each 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.1
Position
The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust is responsible for addressing information-sharing concerns raised in the report.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
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Includes failures in the bounded police–ambulance process for coordinating patient transport assistance, including communication, responsibility allocation, requests for police support, transport arrangements and escalation when assistance is needed.
