Recurring concern
Failure of police operational communications to reliably share safety-critical information
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Request correctionFirst reported 21 Oct 2013•Latest report 17 Mar 2026
What this concern includes
Includes failures in police force control, incident, custody or inter-force communications where relevant risk or safety information is not reliably shared with attending personnel or partner services, including the anchor's omission of recent s136 detention information and failures to pass complete incident information to attending officers.
Not included
- Excludes generic clinical, social-care or non-police handover and documentation failures unless they are explicitly part of a police operational communication pathway.
- Excludes failures concerning the content, training or policy of a police process where communication of safety-critical information is not itself the shared unsafe condition.
- Excludes generic information-technology, staffing or supervision deficiencies that are not explicitly tied to the reliability of police operational communications.
- Excludes communications about non-safety-critical administrative information.
- Reports
- 34
- Individual concerns
- 40
- Date range
- 2013–2026
- Stated actions
- 65
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
Failure to communicate critical missing-person welfare information to relevant officers
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.
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
Implement a process for directly recording and sharing new or updated missing-person information with investigating officers and reviewing supervisors.
Stated by Durham Constabulary
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Concerns raised1
Failure to share relevant police contacts with the mental health Trust
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.
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
Update investigation policy and procedure to require safeguarding reassessment, referrals, referral documentation, outcomes and recorded justification before case closure.
Stated by Essex Police -
Action
Establish a Mental Health Triage team within the Strategic Vulnerability Centre to improve police, health and social-care safeguarding pathways and information sharing.
Stated by Essex Police
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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Position
Where police are not primarily responsible, incidents should be referred or directed to the appropriate agency, subject to specified police duties.
Stated by Essex Police
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Concerns raised2
Failure to include recent s136 detention information in force control communications
Failure to pass relevant details, including next-of-kin information, to the s136 suite
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 inform the hospital of release from police custody
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.4
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Action
Complete mapping of existing information-sharing pathways for releases from custody.
Stated by Metropolitan Police Service -
Action
Develop a protocol for lawful, prompt notification of appropriate mental health services when people in crisis are released from custody.
Stated by Metropolitan Police Service -
Action
Work with mental health partners to develop consistent London-wide arrangements, accountability lines and welfare escalation routes after release.
Stated by Metropolitan Police Service
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Action
Develop guidance for custody and investigating officers on identifying risk, recording indicators and initiating referrals or notifications before release.
Stated by Metropolitan Police Service
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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Position
The DPS review was appropriate and went as far as expected because it identified no conduct, performance or organisational learning.
Stated by Metropolitan Police Service
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Concerns raised1
Lack of inter-force sharing and flagging of information about shotgun licence holders and shotgun locations
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.3
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Action
Develop proposed changes with the Home Office to require declaration of second-home firearm storage in statutory guidance and application forms.
Stated by College of Policing and National Police Chiefs’ Council -
Action
Develop the National Firearms Licensing Management System to provide consistent national licensing processes and enable second-home firearm notifications to local force systems.
Stated by College of Policing and National Police Chiefs’ Council -
Action
Amend firearm and shotgun applications to capture additional residences and update NFLMS to record those locations.
Stated by Home Office
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Concerns raised1
Lack of dispatcher training on information to pass to responding officers
This report raised 11 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
Enhance dispatcher training and lesson plans on communicating CAD-assigned units to responding officers.
Stated by Metropolitan Police Service
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Concerns raised1
Failure to share information about ambulance delays between police and ambulance services
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.
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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Position
The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust is responsible for addressing information-sharing concerns raised in the report.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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Concerns raised1
Failure to obtain and share complete contact information for ambulance disposition decisions
This report raised 5 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
Train SWAST control-room staff to obtain accurate contact and incident information during calls with police.
Stated by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Require officers using the police control room to explain why they cannot call 999 directly, and train police and ambulance personnel to record relevant information when liaising.
Stated by Devon & Cornwall Police
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Concerns raised1
Failure to seek clarification and communicate effectively with medical colleagues about fluctuating or lacking capacity
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
Require officers to obtain, record and share treating-clinician rationale when partner risk assessments differ, with learning fed into relevant working groups.
Stated by West Midlands Police
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Concerns raised1
Failure to inform refuge workers of a relevant police presentation
This report raised 5 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.
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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Position
Adult Social Care is responsible for facilitating any appropriate onward information sharing with the refuge after multi-agency assessment.
Stated by Surrey Police
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Position
Surrey Police is responsible for addressing the other matters raised in the PFD report.
Stated by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Data last updated 7 September 2026