Recurring concern
Unreliable recording of safety-critical mental health information
- Reports that mention this concern
- 51
- Times this concern has been raised
- 54
- Stated actions linked to this concern
- 61
What this concern includes
Includes failures in mental health or related care processes to accurately record, update or retain clinically or safety-relevant mental health information, including risk history, significant concerns, care-relevant objections and other information needed by staff making later decisions.
What is not included
- Excludes generic clinical or care record deficiencies where the information is not specifically mental health or mental-health-risk information.
- Excludes failures to communicate or share accurately recorded information where the recording process itself was reliable.
- Excludes failures in mental health assessment, treatment, referral or follow-up where no deficiency in recording safety-critical mental health information is identified.
- Excludes routine administrative information and non-safety-relevant mental health notes.
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 51 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
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Concerns raised1
Failure to record the timing and rationale for returning usual clothing after ligature risk
This report raised 18 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Essex Partnership University 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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Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Review and document MDT decisions on anti-ligature clothing and bedding through regular MDT and ward-review processes.
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Concerns raised2
Failure to accurately record changes in mental health diagnosis in discharge summaries
Failure to record changes in mental health diagnosis in Psychology records
This report raised 6 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.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to document risk assessments
This report raised 5 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
Incomplete mental health care records
This report raised 7 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Essex Partnership University 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.4
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Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Take forward MDT learning on documenting and escalating inconsistencies between clozapine assays, adherence reports and clinical stability.
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Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Continue the Record Keeping Safety Improvement Programme to improve documentation-related patient safety through learning and regular review.
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Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Develop clinical record-keeping guidance defining the characteristics of a good clinical record.
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Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Discuss case-related record-keeping requirements with service leads and task service managers with reinforcing their importance to staff.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to record the rationale for mental health assessment decisions
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 record the rationale for decisions not to detain following mental health assessments
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Cornwall 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
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Cornwall Council
Transfer Mental Health Act assessment recording from RIO to Mosaic to enable inclusion in the audit programme.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to accurately record contact and suicidal ideation in mental health records
This report raised 8 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Essex Partnership University 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
-
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Deliver focused SystmOne training on recording suicidal ideation and review template completion fields with Mental Health Practitioners.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to record detailed information about detained persons’ mental health concerns
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
- Northumbria Police
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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Northumbria Police
Provide custody staff with instruction and learning on recording detainees’ mental-health concerns through the Custody Newsletter, Custody Compendium and direct reminders to Custody Sergeants.
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Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Review and update CJLD guidance for recording screening assessments, mental-health concerns, risks, clinical reasoning, referrals and handovers on electronic custody records.
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Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Circulate the updated operating procedure and train CJLD staff on required electronic-record entries and verbal handover documentation.
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Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Conduct monthly random audits of every CJLD staff member’s screening records and discuss audit outcomes in monthly clinical supervision to monitor implementation.
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Concerns raised1
Poor documentation of mental health assessment content
This report raised 8 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
- gtd healthcare
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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gtd healthcare
Provide paper copies of clinical templates for use when electronic templates are inaccessible.
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
Concerns about care and documentation should be addressed by the provider, rather than NHS England or the CQC.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to highlight recent mental-health and self-harm risk information in medical records for clinical assessment
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Midlands Partnership University 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.3
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Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Ensure TAG referrals and healthcare applications are added to and visible in SystmOne.
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Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Reinforce reviewing recent electronic patient-record activity before assessment or intervention through incident-meeting messages, governance dissemination, management reminders and supervision.
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Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Document patient concerns in SystmOne so subsequent staff can identify raised concerns and plan care and treatment to mitigate risk.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Data last updated 7 September 2026