Insufficient staffing cover for mental health services during absences
First to latest report 7 Sep 2016 — 27 Sep 2024
Reports that mention this concern
8
Times this concern has been raised
8
Stated actions linked to this concern
16
What this concern includes
Includes deficiencies in staffing cover, absence resilience, replacement arrangements or deployment within mental health services where sickness, holidays or comparable absences leave service users without adequate care, engagement, supervision or other required service functions; includes the anchor's insufficient cover during sickness and holidays and the supporting mental-health-service capacity failure during staff absence.
What is not included
Excludes general mental health service capacity or funding shortages where the specific unsafe condition is not inadequate staffing cover during personnel absence.
Excludes staffing deficiencies outside mental health services.
Excludes generic staff training, communication, documentation or clinical-quality failures unless they directly cause insufficient absence cover.
Excludes isolated individual absence where the service maintains adequate cover and no continuing staffing-resilience deficiency is asserted.
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
Betsi Cadwaladr University LHB1
Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust1
Gray's Inn Road Medical Practice1
Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership1
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust1
Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust1
NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board1
North London Mental Health Partnership1
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust1
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust1
Ysbyty Gwynedd1
NHS trust5
Healthcare site2
Health-system partnership2
Ministerial department2
Integrated care board1
Local health board1
Reports and published responses 8 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
Inner North London
Concerns raised1
Delay in allocation of a replacement mental health care coordinator
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.6
North London NHS Foundation Trust
Strengthen staff re-allocation and handover using a standardised handover template and clear successor contact information.
North London NHS Foundation Trust
Recruit to address team vacancies, including targeted recruitment activity and continuing recruitment to remaining posts.
North London NHS Foundation Trust
Increase staffing capacity through experienced agency staff, permanent social workers, a Band 7 supervisory role and a nursing Team Manager.
North London NHS Foundation Trust
Mobilise locality teams to collaborate with Integrated Community Teams and provide flexible staffing from February 2025.
North London NHS Foundation Trust
Train staff and implement the MaST tool for real-time caseload tracking and prioritisation of high-risk service users.
North London NHS Foundation Trust
Use RAG case tracking, weekly allocation meetings and interim manual audits to prioritise and follow up high-risk cases.
Manchester West
Concerns raised1
Failure to appoint interim Care Coordinator or Community Psychiatric Nurse cover
This report raised 3 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.4
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Implement a Care Coordinator handover sheet for planned absences, identifying required follow-up and accountable staff.
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Establish manager-led review and coverage arrangements for unplanned, short-term and long-term Care Coordinator absences, including prioritised visits, duty-officer follow-up and caseload reallocation.
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Update the Older Adult Community Mental Health Team Standard Operating Procedure to reflect the absence-cover arrangements.
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Audit the absence-cover process after three months to verify that it is embedded and being followed.
Central and South East Kent
Concerns raised1
Insufficient nursing staffing capacity and resilience in the community mental health team
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Manchester South
Concerns raised1
Unavailability of alternative Care Coordinator cover during staff absence
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Maria Caulfield MP
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.2
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
Implement the Living Well model across all ten Greater Manchester localities, including multidisciplinary community mental-health teams.
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
Develop and embed multidisciplinary key-worker roles to strengthen community mental-health care and reduce reliance on individual care coordinators.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
GMMH’s existing systems maintain oversight, contact and risk responses when care coordinators are absent, so additional cover arrangements are not identified as necessary.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
PCFT’s existing duty systems, care plans, caseload oversight and risk-based reallocation provide support during planned or unplanned clinician absence.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Maria Caulfield MP
Responsibility for local mental health staffing, operations and specific Care Coordinator role requirements lies with the relevant NHS trust.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Sunderland
Concerns raised1
Insufficient staffing capacity to cover required engagement work
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Department of Health and Social Care
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
Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Increase staff time available for service users and carers through Quality Priority 3 patient-care improvement work.
Department of Health and Social Care
Increase the NHS mental health workforce to expand service capacity and support safer care delivery.
Department of Health and Social Care
Invest at least £2.3 billion annually to expand and transform NHS mental health services and increase treatment capacity.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Department of Health and Social Care
Responsibility for hospital staffing and operations lies with the relevant NHS Trust.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
West Sussex
Concerns raised1
Lack of practitioner cover and formal handover arrangements for Lead Practitioner caseloads during leave
This report raised 8 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
Sussex Partnership 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
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Incorporate leave handover arrangements, particularly for vulnerable patients, into staff risk assessment training.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
The team-wide duty system is considered safer and sufficient than assigning leave cover to one individual practitioner.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Buckinghamshire
Concerns raised1
Failure to maintain continuity of engagement and care during key staff changes and sickness absence
This report raised 7 other concerns. 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.
North Wales (East and Central)
Concerns raised1
Insufficient staffing cover during sickness and holidays
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
Betsi Cadwaladr University LHB
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Betsi Cadwaladr University LHB
Existing local arrangements are relied upon to provide CTP review cover during staff absence, with capacity difficulties escalated to senior management.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
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.