Recurring concern
Insufficient community-based alternatives to psychiatric hospital admission
- Reports that mention this concern
- 4
- Times this concern has been raised
- 4
- Stated actions linked to this concern
- 6
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.
What is 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.
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 4 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
-
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.
Linked response
- Greater Manchester Mental Health 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
-
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Operate an internal Co-Occurring Conditions group to develop a Trust-wide strategy, service offer and staff training.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
The Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board will respond to the concern about commissioning services.
-
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.
Linked response
- NHS Surrey and Sussex 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.1
-
NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board
Ensure SPFT audits potential voluntary admissions to test the pathway available for high-risk patients who are not detained and cannot safely return home.
-
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.
Linked response
- 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.2
-
NHS England
Invest £150 million in capital projects supporting urgent mental health care and crisis response closer to home.
-
NHS England
Secure investment to provide 24-hour liaison psychiatry access in 70% of hospitals in England by the end of 2023/24.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
NHS England
NHS Sussex ICB is the responsible commissioner for the relevant local services, with the Trust responsible for its action plan.
-
Concerns raised1
Lack of non-hospital respite care options for mentally ill people in the community
Linked response
- South London and Maudsley 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
-
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Review crisis-house provision to assess appropriate crisis accommodation and alternatives.
-
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Commission the evening sanctuary full time as an out-of-hours alternative for people experiencing crisis.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
-
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
The former crisis house was decommissioned because demand for this type of facility was considered low.
-
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Expanded crisis services and an evening sanctuary were considered preferable to reintroducing a residential crisis-house option.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Data last updated 7 September 2026