Recurring concern
Insufficient community-based alternatives to psychiatric hospital admission
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Request correctionFirst reported 14 Jun 2016•Latest report 6 Feb 2026
What this concern includes
Includes failures to provide or maintain community-based alternatives to psychiatric hospital admission, including non-hospital respite accommodation and other safe, staffed support for people who are too high risk to return home but do not require or meet the threshold for detention.
Not included
- Excludes general shortages of mental-health staff, inpatient beds or community services where no gap in community-based alternatives to hospital admission is identified.
- Excludes failures in Home Treatment, assertive outreach or routine community mental-health care when those services are not being assessed as alternatives to hospital admission for a person who cannot safely remain at home.
- Excludes hospital admission, place-of-safety or detention-process failures where the shared unsafe condition is not the absence of a community-based alternative.
- Excludes ordinary housing, social-care or respite provision unrelated to supporting people with serious mental-health needs who cannot safely remain at home.
- Reports
- 4
- Individual concerns
- 4
- Date range
- 2016–2026
- Stated actions
- 6
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
Unavailability of escalated interim home-based or community mental health care
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.
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
Operate an internal Co-Occurring Conditions group to develop a Trust-wide strategy, service offer and staff training.
Stated by Greater Manchester Mental Health 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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Position
The Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board will respond to the concern about commissioning services.
Stated by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Gap in services for people too high risk to go home but not ill enough for detention
This report raised 7 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
Ensure SPFT audits potential voluntary admissions to test the pathway available for high-risk patients who are not detained and cannot safely return home.
Stated by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board
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Concerns raised1
Gap in services for people too high risk to be sent home but not meeting Mental Health Act detention criteria
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.2
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Action
Invest £150 million in capital projects supporting urgent mental health care and crisis response closer to home.
Stated by NHS England -
Action
Secure investment to provide 24-hour liaison psychiatry access in 70% of hospitals in England by the end of 2023/24.
Stated by NHS England
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
NHS Sussex ICB is the responsible commissioner for the relevant local services, with the Trust responsible for its action plan.
Stated by NHS England
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Concerns raised1
Lack of non-hospital respite care options for mentally ill people in the community
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
Review crisis-house provision to assess appropriate crisis accommodation and alternatives.
Stated by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Commission the evening sanctuary full time as an out-of-hours alternative for people experiencing crisis.
Stated by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
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
The former crisis house was decommissioned because demand for this type of facility was considered low.
Stated by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
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Position
Expanded crisis services and an evening sanctuary were considered preferable to reintroducing a residential crisis-house option.
Stated by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Data last updated 7 September 2026