Recurring concern
Failure to provide suitable accommodation for patients awaiting care
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Request correctionFirst reported 19 Sep 2018•Latest report 19 Jan 2026
What this concern includes
Includes failures to provide, maintain or allocate suitable accommodation for patients who are waiting for assessment, treatment, admission, transfer or onward care, including unsuitable overnight locations and inadequate waiting areas.
Not included
- Excludes general hospital or mental-health bed shortages unless they directly result in patients awaiting care being accommodated in an unsuitable or inadequate area.
- Excludes clinical treatment, observation, staffing or documentation failures where patient accommodation is not the unsafe condition.
- Excludes unsuitable accommodation for family carers, staff or non-patient visitors.
- Excludes environmental defects unrelated to the suitability or adequacy of accommodation for patients awaiting care.
- Reports
- 5
- Individual concerns
- 5
- Date range
- 2018–2026
- Stated actions
- 11
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
Inadequate capacity for suitable waiting accommodation within the MHUCD
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
Require risk assessment for patients waiting for medical review or beds, with escalation when necessary.
Stated by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Keep vulnerable patients in swipe-access assessment rooms when risk assessment indicates reception waiting is unsafe.
Stated by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Apply criteria and escalation processes for temporarily closing the MHUCD when safe staffing, capacity, acuity, complexity or triage thresholds are exceeded.
Stated by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
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Action
Review MHUCD capacity daily and escalate capacity issues through scheduled locality and senior bed escalation meetings.
Stated by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
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
EPUT is best placed to address concerns about the MHUCD waiting area and accommodation for people awaiting triage, assessment or beds.
Stated by NHS England
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Position
Existing capacity criteria and escalation processes allow the MHUCD to close temporarily and divert patients when safe accommodation is unavailable.
Stated by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Failure to keep patients in a suitable area overnight
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
Update and disseminate the department protocol and admission criteria, including closure of the unit when suitable staffing is unavailable.
Stated by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust -
Action
Update the CDU standard operating process to define its short-stay purpose, admission and exclusion criteria, discharge planning, and prohibition on placing patients requiring admission there.
Stated by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
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Concerns raised1
Insufficient provision to temporarily house patients awaiting informal admission
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 raised1
Failure to provide suitable waiting conditions in A and E
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
Allocate additional capital funding, including £3.611 million for Stepping Hill Hospital’s emergency-department upgrade.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Action
Implement agreed principles requiring direct specialty acceptance, specialty assessment of stable patients, and expanded Same Day Emergency Care across Greater Manchester.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board -
Action
Implement NHS 111 First so patients are directed to call 111 before attending an Emergency Department.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
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Action
Implement pre-Emergency Department triage and streaming to direct patients to the most appropriate service.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
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Concerns raised1
Lack of suitable space or resources for patients awaiting further assessment
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
Expand the triage area to increase patient capacity, privacy and dignity.
Stated by the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
Data last updated 7 September 2026