Recurring concern
Unreliable recording of safety-critical mental health information
First reported 18 Aug 2014•Latest report 27 May 2026
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.
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.
- Reports
- 51
- Individual concerns
- 54
- Date range
- 2014–2026
- Stated actions
- 61
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.
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Concerns raised1
Omission of pertinent psychiatric history from GP summaries
This report raised 4 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.
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 identified medication-taking risks in mental health records
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.
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 clearly record and make relevant previous incidents known to those responsible for care
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.
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 record crisis-line calls in the medical record
This report raised 4 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
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Action
Provide medical-records training for senior nurses and Trust managers on record keeping, observations and retrospective entries.
Stated by East London NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Failure to record significant family concerns and patient accounts
This report raised 6 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.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
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Concerns raised1
Inadequate recording of deterioration in mental health presentation
This report raised 10 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.
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 record recent medication overdoses
This report raised 2 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
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Action
Have the Quality Improvement team consider family involvement, enhanced risk formulation and suicide-risk assessment within thematic improvement work.
Stated by OHFT
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Concerns raised1
Failure to document disclosures relevant to mental health risk
This report raised 8 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
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Action
Improve clinical record keeping to ensure care plans, risk assessments and clinical reasoning are documented clearly and electronically.
Stated by Ministry of Defence -
Action
Strengthen senior-clinician oversight of record-keeping quality and regularly review clinicians whose performance falls below the required standard.
Stated by Ministry of Defence
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Concerns raised1
Delays in recording clinically significant disclosures in medical notes
This report raised 2 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.
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 record interim deterioration advice and action information
This report raised 8 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.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Data last updated 7 September 2026