Recurring concern
Failure to ensure timely ambulance access to care and emergency treatment premises
- Reports that mention this concern
- 5
- Times this concern has been raised
- 6
- Stated actions linked to this concern
- 11
What this concern includes
Includes failures of dedicated ambulance-access arrangements at care homes, hospitals, venues or other emergency treatment premises, including staffing, entry systems, access directions and related operational arrangements, when those failures delay or obstruct ambulance access.
What is not included
- Excludes general ambulance response delays or shortages unrelated to gaining entry to the destination premises.
- Excludes hospital handover delays after ambulance arrival.
- Excludes generic building security or access-control failures unless they specifically obstruct ambulance access.
- Excludes failures of clinical assessment, treatment, information transfer or patient transfer that do not concern ambulance access to premises.
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 5 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
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Concerns raised1
Failure to ensure that the ward's immediate access route is known and shared with emergency ambulance services
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare 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
-
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Agree a process with South Central Ambulance Service for updating emergency access information in its dispatch system.
-
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Provide South Central Ambulance Service with emergency meeting locations for all Trust inpatient units.
-
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Meet ambulance crews and escort them to the emergency location whenever they attend a Trust inpatient unit.
-
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Update emergency access information with South Central Ambulance Service annually or when additional inpatient units are added.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to provide timely out-of-hours access to the care home for ambulances
This report raised 9 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
- Care Quality Commission
- Castlehill Specialist Care Centre
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
-
Castlehill Specialist Care Centre
Install corridor monitoring screens linked to the external doorbell with audible alerts to improve timely building access.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Care Quality Commission
CQC will not progress a criminal investigation because the evidence does not meet the required threshold of proving avoidability beyond reasonable doubt.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to provide ambulance crews with correct venue access directions
This report raised 11 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 ensure unobstructed ambulance access through all security gates
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
- HM Prison and Probation Service
- South Central Ambulance Service 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
-
HM Prison and Probation Service
Update emergency vehicle contingency plans with immediate ambulance notification, gate staffing, additional OSG support, proportionate searching, and information sharing to prevent access delays.
-
HM Prison and Probation Service
Provide all Custodial Managers an opportunity to participate in a live test of emergency vehicle receipt arrangements.
-
HM Prison and Probation Service
Deliver establishment-based training for OSGs on emergency vehicle receipt arrangements, with completion required for all OSGs by the end of 2019.
-
South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Establish a joint prison access process to provide ambulance crews with timely access to patients and identify expected emergency resources.
-
Concerns raised2
Lack of ambulance crew access to coded hospital entrance keypads
Failure to maintain continuous staffing of resuscitation receptions
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Department of Health and Social Care
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
-
Department of Health and Social Care
Share the case with the Care Quality Commission for consideration of emergency-department access arrangements in independent ambulance-service inspections.
-
Department of Health and Social Care
Write to the Health and Safety Executive to bring the case to its attention regarding independent ambulance-service access to receiving emergency departments.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
-
Department of Health and Social Care
Independent ambulance providers do not fall directly within the Department of Health’s remit.
-
Department of Health and Social Care
Licensing and medical-cover arrangements at public events are the responsibility of local authorities.
-
Department of Health and Social Care
Amending the Purple Guide to specify independent ambulance access arrangements is ultimately for the HSE to decide.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Data last updated 7 September 2026