Recurring concern
Failure to provide timely clinical review during ambulance call handling
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Request correctionFirst reported 27 Feb 2018•Latest report 28 Oct 2025
What this concern includes
Includes failures to provide, initiate or complete timely clinical review during ambulance emergency-call handling when the caller's symptoms, risk or changing condition requires clinician involvement, including prolonged calls without clinical input and calls in which no clinician becomes involved despite an indication for clinical assessment.
Not included
- Excludes ambulance-resource, dispatch, attendance and hospital-handover delays occurring after the required clinical review during call handling has been provided.
- Excludes general call-handler triage or categorisation failures where no failure to obtain clinician involvement or review is identified.
- Excludes the content or quality of clinical advice after a clinician has reviewed the call; those belong to clinical-advice concerns.
- Excludes generic clinical staffing or training deficiencies unless they directly cause the absence or delay of clinical review during ambulance call handling.
- Reports
- 6
- Individual concerns
- 7
- Date range
- 2018–2025
- Stated actions
- 5
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
Delays in medically trained clinician review of ambulance call information
This report raised 6 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.
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
East Midlands Ambulance Service must address the clinician’s upgrade rationale and the delay before clinical review.
Stated by South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Lack of clinician awareness of the ability to challenge ambulance call categorisation and request clinical review
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
Publish and maintain a national framework enabling healthcare professionals to challenge ambulance call categorisation and request clinical review.
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
The framework advises healthcare professionals that they may challenge the assigned ambulance category or response time based on clinical concern.
Stated by NHS England
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Concerns raised1
Lack of clinician involvement during emergency calls
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.1
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Action
Route overdose and poisoning calls through Clinical Navigation for timely clinician review, escalation, further triage and welfare action when specialist triage is delayed.
Stated by North West Ambulance Service 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
The call did receive clinician review, including review by a Clinical Support Desk clinician and a Specialist Practitioner.
Stated by North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
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Concerns raised1
Failure of the control-room computer system to allow clinician assessment and upgrading of calls during ongoing live calls
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 records to open in read-only mode, requiring users to request a lock.
Stated by Cleric Computer Services Limited -
Action
Streamline requests to release a record lock from one user to another.
Stated by Cleric Computer Services Limited
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 system did not wholly preclude clinician access or call upgrading because several built-in mechanisms could overcome a locked record.
Stated by Cleric Computer Services Limited
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Position
Record locks will remain because they are fundamental, while existing operational procedures handle circumstances involving locked calls.
Stated by Cleric Computer Services Limited
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Concerns raised2
Absence of ongoing clinician input and clinical assessment during prolonged emergency call handling
Failure to obtain available healthcare professional assessment early in call handling
This report raised 12 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
Insufficient call-taker training and confidence to involve clinicians in difficult calls
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
Remind all call takers when to upgrade calls and seek senior guidance about NHS Pathways dispositions.
Stated by South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Data last updated 7 September 2026