Recurring concern
Failure to maintain clear clinical responsibility for patient care
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Request correctionFirst reported 3 Jan 2014•Latest report 8 Jun 2026
What this concern includes
Includes failures of an explicitly clinical care responsibility arrangement in which clinicians or senior clinical staff do not retain, clearly assign or actively oversee responsibility for patient care, including during private hospital stays, community care and post-discharge care.
Not included
- Excludes generic delegation or supervision failures not tied to responsibility for the patient’s overall clinical care.
- Excludes administrative, incident-investigation or governance responsibility failures that do not concern ongoing clinical responsibility for patient care.
- Excludes individual delays, omissions or treatment failures unless they arise from the failure to retain or clearly assign clinical responsibility.
- Reports
- 39
- Individual concerns
- 42
- Date range
- 2014–2026
- Stated actions
- 54
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
Confusion between doctors about responsibility for patients with dual orthopaedic and medical needs
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.3
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Action
Display on-call doctors’ contact information in relevant clinical areas.
Stated by Barts Health NHS Trust -
Action
Update the orthopaedic–orthogeriatric interface and define junior doctors’ roles and responsibilities for patient assessment.
Stated by Barts Health NHS Trust -
Action
Escalate orthopaedic patients with clinical concerns to the on-call medical, Critical Care Outreach or intensive care teams for support and further management.
Stated by Barts Health NHS Trust
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Concerns raised1
Failure to transfer care to the appropriate clinical specialty
This report raised 8 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
Develop and disseminate a urology referral form documenting transfer reasons, decisions, clinical priority, and coordination-centre notification.
Stated by University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Review processes for allocating the named consultant, agreeing joint care, and escalating disagreements about care ownership.
Stated by University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation 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
UCLH disputes that gastroenterology had agreed to take over care, stating that specialist gastroenterology teams reviewed the patient instead.
Stated by University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Lack of clarity about responsibility for oversight of patient care following 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.
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
Implement and use a Trust-wide electronic Care Coordinator to Care Coordinator Transfer of Care Document for structured handovers and continuity oversight.
Stated by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Failure to establish clear cross-specialty responsibility for review and escalation
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
Redefine the Major Trauma Service so the Major Trauma Consultant leads whole-patient review and liaises with specialty teams.
Stated by University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust
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Concerns raised3
Lack of clarity about responsibility for formulating clear and comprehensive psychotherapy discharge plans
Lack of clarity about responsibility for oversight of patient care following discharge
Lack of clarity about responsibility for post-discharge relapse safety-netting
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 raised1
Lack of clear responsibility for monitoring and co-ordinating community eating disorder care
This report raised 15 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.4
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Action
Develop a community eating disorder medical-monitoring pathway and accept medically stable patients based on clinical assessment rather than BMI alone.
Stated by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Develop a shared operating procedure and training for communication between acute, community and specialist inpatient services.
Stated by Priory Group -
Action
Approve and implement an expanded adult community eating disorder service with psychiatric, physical-health, psychological and dietetic capacity.
Stated by NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group
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Action
Implement the expanded adult eating disorder service to provide medical monitoring, specialist treatment, consultation and coordinated pathways.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
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
Priory Hospital Cheadle Royal is not commissioned to provide community interventions, apart from assessments that may lead to admission.
Stated by Priory Group
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Concerns raised1
Lack of clarity over responsibility for monitoring GP antibiotic prescribing requested by a hospital
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
Lack of clarity about relative responsibility for patients’ overall medical management between Mayday Assistance Limited and air ambulance providers
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
Establish Air Ambulance Support Agreements with providers to clarify responsibilities and promote close working relationships on all cases.
Stated by Mayday Group Ltd
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Concerns raised1
Lack of clear allocation of overall clinical responsibility for patients remaining in the Accident and Emergency Department
This report raised 8 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
Lack of a named local hospital Consultant for patients with conditions overseen by another hospital
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.2
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Action
Develop patient information proformas covering involved professionals and admission management plans, with annual consultant review and updating.
Stated by Wye Valley NHS Trust -
Action
Operate divisional standard operating procedures requiring named local consultants and consultation with relevant specialist departments at the overseeing hospital.
Stated by Wye Valley NHS Trust
Data last updated 7 September 2026