Failure to provide suitable accommodation for patients awaiting care
First to latest report 19 Sep 2018 — 19 Jan 2026
Reports that mention this concern
5
Times this concern has been raised
5
Stated actions linked to this concern
11
What this concern includes
Includes failures to provide, maintain or allocate suitable accommodation for patients who are waiting for assessment, treatment, admission, transfer or onward care, including unsuitable overnight locations and inadequate waiting areas.
What is not included
Excludes general hospital or mental-health bed shortages unless they directly result in patients awaiting care being accommodated in an unsuitable or inadequate area.
Excludes clinical treatment, observation, staffing or documentation failures where patient accommodation is not the unsafe condition.
Excludes unsuitable accommodation for family carers, staff or non-patient visitors.
Excludes environmental defects unrelated to the suitability or adequacy of accommodation for patients awaiting care.
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.
Department of Health and Social Care2
Care Quality Commission1
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust1
Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership1
Health Services Safety Investigations Body1
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust1
NHS England1
the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust1
NHS trust3
Executive non-departmental public body2
Ministerial department2
Health and social care service regulator1
Health-system partnership1
Reports and published responses 5 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
Essex
Concerns raised1
Inadequate capacity for suitable waiting accommodation within the MHUCD
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
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.4
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Require risk assessment for patients waiting for medical review or beds, with escalation when necessary.
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Keep vulnerable patients in swipe-access assessment rooms when risk assessment indicates reception waiting is unsafe.
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Apply criteria and escalation processes for temporarily closing the MHUCD when safe staffing, capacity, acuity, complexity or triage thresholds are exceeded.
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Review MHUCD capacity daily and escalate capacity issues through scheduled locality and senior bed escalation meetings.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
NHS England
EPUT is best placed to address concerns about the MHUCD waiting area and accommodation for people awaiting triage, assessment or beds.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Existing capacity criteria and escalation processes allow the MHUCD to close temporarily and divert patients when safe accommodation is unavailable.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Mid Kent and Medway
Concerns raised1
Failure to keep patients in a suitable area overnight
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS 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.2
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Update and disseminate the department protocol and admission criteria, including closure of the unit when suitable staffing is unavailable.
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Update the CDU standard operating process to define its short-stay purpose, admission and exclusion criteria, discharge planning, and prohibition on placing patients requiring admission there.
Suffolk
Concerns raised1
Insufficient provision to temporarily house patients awaiting informal admission
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Manchester South
Concerns raised1
Failure to provide suitable waiting conditions in A and E
This report raised 2 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
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
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
Department of Health and Social Care
Allocate additional capital funding, including £3.611 million for Stepping Hill Hospital’s emergency-department upgrade.
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
Implement agreed principles requiring direct specialty acceptance, specialty assessment of stable patients, and expanded Same Day Emergency Care across Greater Manchester.
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
Implement NHS 111 First so patients are directed to call 111 before attending an Emergency Department.
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
Implement pre-Emergency Department triage and streaming to direct patients to the most appropriate service.
Black Country
Concerns raised1
Lack of suitable space or resources for patients awaiting further assessment
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
the Dudley Group 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
the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
Expand the triage area to increase patient capacity, privacy and dignity.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.