Recurring concern
Failure to provide continuity of care staffing
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Request correctionFirst reported 28 Mar 2013•Latest report 8 Feb 2024
What this concern includes
Includes failures involving continuity, consistency or cover of staff responsible for ongoing care, including frequent changes of care staff, lack of a stable nursing or medical team, fragmented care coordination, and failure to provide substitute staff during prolonged absence.
Not included
- Excludes general staffing shortages, inadequate staffing numbers or excessive workload where continuity of the care team is not the identified unsafe condition.
- Excludes failures limited to continuity of treatment, clinical responsibility, information sharing or care planning when staff continuity is not materially involved.
- Excludes generic agency-staff reliance, recruitment or retention concerns unless they directly result in unreliable continuity of care staffing.
- Excludes continuity failures in non-care functions or services unless the assertion concerns staff responsible for providing ongoing care.
- Reports
- 30
- Individual concerns
- 30
- Date range
- 2013–2024
- Stated actions
- 47
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
Lack of continuity of nursing staff on winter-pressure wards
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.4
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Action
Establish permanent ward teams and leadership, with daily Ward Sister presence and clear escalation signposting.
Stated by NHS Humber Health Partnership -
Action
Maintain additional nursing capacity above establishment to reduce reliance on bank and agency staff.
Stated by NHS Humber Health Partnership -
Action
Develop a safe methodology for opening additional urgent capacity during winter pressures or increased demand.
Stated by NHS Humber Health Partnership
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Action
Monitor medicine-ward staffing levels and associated improvement actions until they are fully implemented, embedded, and sustained.
Stated by Care Quality Commission
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
Established H130 staffing, leadership, escalation arrangements and a planned methodology are considered sufficient to safely open additional winter capacity.
Stated by NHS Humber Health Partnership
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Position
Staffing at individual NHS trusts is their responsibility, while national workforce support continues.
Stated by NHS England
-
Concerns raised1
Lack of robust protocols when both key points of contact are on leave simultaneously
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.5
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Action
Discuss and circulate robust out-of-office requirements, including urgent escalation routes, across the Early Intervention Service.
Stated by North London Mental Health Partnership -
Action
Request robust use of equivalent escalation signposting in staff voicemail messages during absences.
Stated by North London Mental Health Partnership -
Action
Update online EIS contact information to include both teams’ duty mobile numbers alongside existing switchboard and inbox details.
Stated by North London Mental Health Partnership
-
Action
Reiterate requirements for doctor cover arrangements to be established, communicated to teams and signposted through out-of-office messages.
Stated by North London Mental Health Partnership -
Action
Reiterate the need to balance service requirements and cover when considering annual leave requests.
Stated by North London Mental Health Partnership
-
Concerns raised1
Lack of consistency and continuity among care 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.
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
-
Action
Invest in recruiting and retaining additional mental health workers.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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 Trust’s action plan and CQC monitoring are the established arrangements for addressing the identified safety concerns.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
-
Concerns raised1
Regular turnover of GPs working for short periods as part of their training
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 continuity of care across successive consultants
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.2
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Action
Reduce locum consultant cover and develop a more substantive workforce to improve patient ownership.
Stated by The Trust -
Action
Improve handover of care and communication between consultants.
Stated by The Trust
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Position
Staffing shortages and working-time requirements prevent assigning the same consultant throughout an admission.
Stated by The Trust
-
Concerns raised1
Home Treatment Teams failing to provide continuity of staff and set appointment times for people with ASD
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
Expand and improve Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment provision for people with acute mental health needs through the Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan.
Stated by NHS England
-
Concerns raised1
Insufficient recruitment and retention of midwives for continuity of care
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.4
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Action
Invest £165 million to grow and support the maternity workforce and improve neonatal care.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Action
Expand midwifery training places by 3,650 over four years.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Action
Provide non-repayable annual training grants and additional financial support for eligible students and recruitment-shortage specialisms.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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Action
Implement the NHS People Plan’s staff-retention measures, including wellbeing guardians, healthier working environments, flexible working and psychological support.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
-
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.
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
-
Action
Implement the Living Well model across all ten Greater Manchester localities, including multidisciplinary community mental-health teams.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board -
Action
Develop and embed multidisciplinary key-worker roles to strengthen community mental-health care and reduce reliance on individual care coordinators.
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.3
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Position
GMMH’s existing systems maintain oversight, contact and risk responses when care coordinators are absent, so additional cover arrangements are not identified as necessary.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
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Position
PCFT’s existing duty systems, care plans, caseload oversight and risk-based reallocation provide support during planned or unplanned clinician absence.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board -
Position
Responsibility for local mental health staffing, operations and specific Care Coordinator role requirements lies with the relevant NHS trust.
Stated by Maria Caulfield MP
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Concerns raised1
High turnover of care-coordinator staff
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.7
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Action
Prioritise mental-health vacancies and use off-framework agencies to retain locum support and consistency during short-term vacancies.
Stated by North East London NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Deliver a training and career-development programme enabling band 5 staff to progress into band 6 care-coordinator roles.
Stated by North East London NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Provide a staff wellbeing service for substantive and locum staff.
Stated by North East London NHS Foundation Trust
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Action
Work to understand how staff can be supported with cost-of-living issues.
Stated by North East London NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Continue the mental-health transformation programme to enhance service delivery and develop the care model.
Stated by North East London NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Use rolling advertisements and international recruitment to recruit and retain staff, while pursuing a zero-nursing-vacancy objective.
Stated by North East London NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Consider financial incentives to attract and retain staff.
Stated by North East London NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Lack of continuity in community nursing staff assessing wounds
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.
Data last updated 7 September 2026