Recurring concern
Failure to provide timely emergency hospital conveyance
- Reports that mention this concern
- 11
- Times this concern has been raised
- 12
- Stated actions linked to this concern
- 18
What this concern includes
Includes failures in arranging, authorising or providing timely emergency conveyance to hospital when a patient's condition requires urgent hospital assessment or treatment, including delays after the need for conveyance is identified and inappropriate non-emergency conveyance conditions.
What is not included
- Excludes delays in ambulance attendance, dispatch or travel before the conveyance decision or vehicle arrival; those belong to ambulance-response concerns.
- Excludes hospital admission, ambulance-to-hospital handover and treatment delays after the patient has arrived at hospital.
- Excludes routine outpatient or non-urgent patient transport.
- Excludes generic clinical-assessment or diagnosis failures unless they directly result in delayed or inappropriate emergency hospital conveyance.
- Excludes failures of vehicle equipment, patient positioning or restraint unless they directly make the emergency hospital conveyance itself unsafe.
Trends
Reports over time
Reports mentioning this concern, 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.
Reports and published responses 11 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
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Concerns raised1
Failure to convey patients with intermittent chest pain, breathlessness or abnormal ECG with ST elevation to the nearest emergency hospital
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
- London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- NHS England
Stated actions 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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London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Deliver further ECG-focused training and updated myocardial infarction guidance through the 2026–2027 Core Skills Refresher cycle.
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London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Reinforce guidance and training on intermittent symptoms and presentations suggestive of acute coronary syndrome.
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London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Commence a trial transmitting ECGs to Heart Attack Centre clinicians for early interpretation and specialist referral.
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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London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Existing paramedic training, national guidance and holistic clinical assessment are considered sufficient for recognising and managing suspected acute coronary syndrome.
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NHS England
Local ambulance services are responsible for the operational concerns and are best placed to respond to them.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to use emergency transport for a medical emergency
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- London 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
-
London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
The care did not reflect a lack of urgency, and arrest did not influence the timeliness or appropriateness of assessment, management or care.
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Concerns raised1
Inadequate arrangements for the swift departure of ambulances from the prison in blue-light emergencies
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- HM Prison and Probation Service
Stated actions 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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HM Prison and Probation Service
Review the prison’s Local Security Strategy and confirm emergency ambulance departure requirements.
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HM Prison and Probation Service
Identify at least two officers at the start of each shift to support emergency escort duties.
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HM Prison and Probation Service
Work with the ambulance service on an emergency contingency-plan exercise and use its learning to strengthen the contingency plan.
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HM Prison and Probation Service
Introduce improved monitoring to identify delays in ambulance departures and support corrective action.
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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HM Prison and Probation Service
The prison’s existing Local Security Strategy provides for ambulance dispatch before risk assessment when necessary in a blue-light emergency.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to communicate the urgent need for ambulance-exit authorisation and have the authorisation prepared
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- HM Prison and Probation Service
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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HM Prison and Probation Service
Records indicate the hospital-transfer authorisation was generated immediately after the emergency code was called, rather than being delayed.
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Concerns raised2
Conveyance policy restricting timely transport of medical emergencies
Conveyance policy restricting timely transport of medical emergencies
This report raised 15 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring 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 transferring patients requiring emergency specialist stroke care
This report raised 7 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- Barts Health NHS Trust
Stated actions 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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Barts Health NHS Trust
Review the hospital policy for stroke management.
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Barts Health NHS Trust
Review the Hyperacute Stroke Unit checklist of advice.
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Concerns raised1
Delays in arranging emergency hospital assessment and transport after suspected significant injury
Linked response
- Borough Care Ltd
Stated actions 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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Borough Care Ltd
Update risk management plans for residents prescribed anticoagulants to require calling 999 immediately after a fall, accident or injury.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to escalate seriously ill children to hospital during OOH assessment
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
- North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust
Stated actions 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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North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust
Implement NICE feverish-illness guidance in the out-of-hours service using PEWS and assessment templates.
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North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust
Conduct quarterly clinical audits of practitioners’ records and provide supervision and competency action plans where practice falls short.
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North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust
Provide training on managing severely ill children for out-of-hours GPs alongside mandatory and statutory training.
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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North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust
The clinical data produced a PEWS score of 0–2, which did not indicate that further action or hospital referral was required.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to prioritise preservation of life over security concerns in emergency medical decisions
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring 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 transfer patients to hospital by ambulance when required
This report raised 11 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Data last updated 7 September 2026