Recurring concern
Failure to provide effective consultant psychiatrist oversight in mental health care
- Reports that mention this concern
- 13
- Times this concern has been raised
- 15
- Stated actions linked to this concern
- 18
What this concern includes
Includes failures of consultant psychiatrist oversight in mental health care, including absent or ineffective consultant input, unclear or unreliable escalation to consultant review, lack of an allocated consultant psychiatrist, and inadequate consultant involvement in inpatient, community, liaison or home-treatment care where consultant oversight is needed for safe assessment, treatment or risk management.
What is not included
- Excludes generic mental health staffing shortages, specialist-service access failures or psychiatric appointment delays unless the asserted unsafe condition is specifically absent or ineffective consultant psychiatrist oversight.
- Excludes failures limited to a separately named pathway, such as Mental Health Act assessment, CPA coordination, home-treatment access or psychiatric appointment provision, where that pathway itself is the more specific supported concern.
- Excludes failures of non-psychiatric consultant or specialist oversight unless the assertion explicitly concerns consultant psychiatrist oversight in mental health care.
- Excludes poor clinical decisions made after effective consultant psychiatrist oversight was available and provided.
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 13 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
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Concerns raised1
Lack of consultant-level expertise in treating adults with complex, treatment-resistant depression
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Curaleaf Clinic
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Curaleaf Clinic
The prescribing psychiatrist had substantial adult psychiatry training and experience despite specialising in child and adolescent psychiatry.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to provide instructions for challenging an inappropriate crisis-house placement decision
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- North London 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.2
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North London NHS Foundation Trust
Require senior clinical review, an alternative plan, documented accountability and formal escalation before finalising any declined crisis house referral.
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North London NHS Foundation Trust
Provide clinicians with 24/7 Crisis Hub access to senior clinical advice for urgent escalation and referral guidance.
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Concerns raised2
Lack of Consultant Psychiatrist oversight for vulnerable patients
Lack of clear mechanisms and criteria for escalation to a Consultant Psychiatrist
This report raised 2 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.2
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Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Review the Liaison Service Standard Operating Procedure to incorporate the described consultant-oversight provisions, completing the review by May 2026.
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Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Monitor the consultant-oversight provisions to assess whether they contribute to patient safety and therapeutic care.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Existing Core 24, multidisciplinary review, referral, escalation and on-call arrangements provide sufficient Consultant oversight for liaison patients.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to discuss referrals during consultant psychiatric review
This report raised 8 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
Lack of consultant psychiatrist leadership within CAMHS teams
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
- Department of Health and Social Care
- NHS England
- NHS North East London
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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Department of Health and Social Care
Attract, train, recruit, retain and reskill the current and future mental health workforce.
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Department of Health and Social Care
Continue increasing education and training commissions across mental health training programmes.
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NHS North East London
Develop a business case for additional CAMHS funding, including proposals for extended working and face-to-face initial assessments.
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NHS North East London
Work with NELFT and other providers to support consultant psychiatrist recruitment and develop innovative recruitment approaches.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
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NHS England
Local support provision and related actions must be addressed by the relevant local commissioners and providers.
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NHS England
Delivery of expanded children’s mental health access and workforce ambitions is subject to future funding settlements.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to provide Consultant Psychiatrist review after 30 May 2018
This report raised 12 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
Absence of an allocated consultant psychiatrist for CEDS in Bury and six other Manchester boroughs
This report raised 15 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
- Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
- NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group
- 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.3
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Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Appoint a consultant psychiatrist and establish standard operating procedures for specialist eating disorder advice.
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NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group
Approve and implement an expanded adult community eating disorder service with psychiatric, physical-health, psychological and dietetic capacity.
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NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
Implement the expanded adult eating disorder service to provide medical monitoring, specialist treatment, consultation and coordinated pathways.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
GMMH has been unable to recruit a second eating-disorder consultant psychiatrist because of local and national workforce shortages.
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Concerns raised1
Lack of mandated face-to-face consultant psychiatrist review after acute-unit discharge
This report raised 9 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Medical review decisions remain risk- and needs-led through multidisciplinary processes rather than being governed by a fixed post-discharge Consultant Psychiatrist review mandate.
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Concerns raised1
Unavailability of consultant-level psychiatric input to eating disorder services
This report raised 6 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
- General Medical Council
- 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.3
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NHS England
Increase psychiatry placements in the Foundation Programme and continue working with the Royal College of Psychiatrists to improve specialty-training fill rates.
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NHS England
Work through a joint eating-disorder expert advisory group to plan future commissioning and determine workforce requirements.
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General Medical Council
Work with workforce bodies and healthcare providers to identify and implement solutions to the shortage of eating-disorder specialists.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to progress and communicate recruitment arrangements for the dedicated consultant psychiatrist post
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.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Data last updated 7 September 2026