Recurring concern
Failure to ensure clinical investigation results are reliably available, interpreted and acted upon
First reported 11 Sep 2013•Latest report 25 Jun 2026
What this concern includes
Includes failures in the end-to-end process for managing clinical investigation results when the result is not reliably made available to, brought to the attention of, correctly checked or interpreted by, and acted upon by the responsible clinical team.
Not included
- Excludes failures concerning treatment monitoring or prescribing unless the assertion specifically concerns management of the resulting investigation result.
- Excludes generic documentation, staffing, training or communication deficiencies that are not explicitly tied to the management of an investigation result.
- Excludes administrative or test-ordering failures where no result-management deficiency is identified.
- Excludes failures involving non-clinical items, equipment or processes unrelated to clinical investigation results.
- Reports
- 108
- Individual concerns
- 138
- Date range
- 2013–2026
- Stated actions
- 168
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 review and identify abnormal ECG results
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.
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 escalate monitoring and management after grossly abnormal blood results
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.
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 assessing available blood results
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.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
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Concerns raised2
Lack of a clear process for repeat blood samples in babies and subsequent checking and actioning of results
Failure of capillary blood gas printouts to highlight abnormal results to clinical staff
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.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
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Concerns raised3
Delays in authorising abnormal results onto the Clinical Manager system
Omission of blood test results from discharge summaries
Insufficiently clear procedures for telephoning abnormal coagulation results
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
Revise the coagulation-results procedure to require escalation, prompt Clinical Manager release, documented communication, and shift handover when urgent abnormal results cannot be promptly telephoned.
Stated by Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS 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
Including hospital blood results in discharge summaries is not considered necessary because GPs can access those results through Telepath.
Stated by Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
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Concerns raised1
Failure to communicate genetic test results accurately
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
Ensure effective ongoing communication between the paediatric neurology team and clinical scientists to clarify genetic test results.
Stated by Barts Health NHS Trust
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Concerns raised1
Lack of recorded drug-screening results on return from leave
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 chase outstanding test results before discharge
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.
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 reporting plain radiology within required timescales
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 act upon a reducing trend in a haemoglobin result
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.2
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Action
Change the laboratory IT system and issue staff instructions on revised standard operating procedures for haemoglobin reporting.
Stated by Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Reduce the haemoglobin delta-check threshold from 25% to 20%.
Stated by Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Data last updated 7 September 2026