Recurring concern
Failure to dispatch emergency responders promptly to serious incidents
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Request correctionFirst reported 29 Jul 2014•Latest report 1 Feb 2024
What this concern includes
Includes failures in the dedicated emergency-dispatch process to recognise serious incidents, dispatch appropriate responders promptly, and avoid avoidable delay while responsibility, location or further clinical information is being established.
Not included
- Excludes delays in ambulance attendance, travel, hospital handover or treatment after appropriate emergency responders have been dispatched.
- Excludes generic emergency-call handling, triage or communication failures where dispatch timing is not the unsafe condition.
- Excludes routine or non-urgent incidents where no need for prompt emergency dispatch is identified.
- Excludes general staffing, resource or cross-agency coordination deficiencies unless they directly cause delayed dispatch of emergency responders.
- Reports
- 8
- Individual concerns
- 8
- Date range
- 2014–2024
- Stated actions
- 13
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 dispatch a Critical Care Team immediately in serious incidents
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.1
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Action
Integrate the Critical Care desk function into all three control rooms to improve identification, monitoring and reassessment of enhanced-care needs.
Stated by East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
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Concerns raised1
Delays in ambulance dispatch
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
Publish a delivery plan to recover urgent and emergency care services and improve waiting times.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Action
Maintain additional ambulance capacity funded to expand availability and improve response times.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Action
Deliver new ambulances and specialist mental health vehicles.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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Concerns raised1
Failure to immediately establish responsibility for calling an ambulance
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
Delays in dispatching ambulances to patients
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.6
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Action
Increase frontline and emergency operations centre staffing, including flexible relief capacity for predicted demand.
Stated by East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust -
Action
Increase the available vehicle fleet to deploy more ambulance resources concurrently.
Stated by East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust -
Action
Introduce Paramedic Pathfinder and train frontline staff to use it for pre-hospital assessment and appropriate referral.
Stated by East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
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Action
Develop specialist pathfinder tools and referral services for specific conditions through CQUIN-funded project work.
Stated by East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust -
Action
Expand the Clinical Assessment Team to provide continuous clinician-led telephone assessment and hear-and-treat support.
Stated by East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust -
Action
Operate a dynamically deployable single Ambulance Technician vehicle in Skegness and Boston for suitable calls, supported by Clinical Assessment Team referrals or discharge.
Stated by East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
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Concerns raised1
Failure to arrange immediate emergency ambulance transfer for potential stroke symptoms
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
Communicate emergency-response guidance to lead commissioners for dissemination to GPs and Bed Bureau services.
Stated by East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust -
Action
Contact GP practices through membership organisations to reiterate that suspected strokes require an urgent 999 response.
Stated by NHS England
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
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Position
The hospital has a system for identifying GP calls requiring emergency admission, with staff awareness and a flow-chart being added to support that process.
Stated by University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
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Position
The referring GP remains responsible for identifying when emergency admission is required.
Stated by University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust -
Position
Bed Bureau services are locally organised and guided by the referring GP’s opinion and requirements regarding emergency admission.
Stated by NHS England
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Concerns raised1
Failure to ensure immediate ambulance transfer when abnormal blood results require urgent transfer
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.1
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Action
Continue collaboration with Kings College Hospital to improve access to medical care and support rapid access from the Maudsley site.
Stated by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Failure to dispatch Derbyshire officers immediately in urgent situations occurring on or close to the Staffordshire-Derbyshire border
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
Delays in referring cases and dispatching ambulances after failure to obtain caller location information
This report raised 9 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.
Data last updated 7 September 2026