Recurring concern
Inadequate contingency planning for safe patient care during staffing shortages
Pin
Get email alerts
Request correctionFirst reported 19 Jun 2018•Latest report 4 Feb 2026
What this concern includes
Includes failures of contingency planning specifically intended to maintain safe patient care or clinical cover during staff shortages, staff absence or industrial action.
Not included
- Excludes ordinary staffing shortages or vacancies without a reported failure of contingency planning or safe response.
- Excludes contingency planning for non-staffing hazards, such as equipment, security or lockdown risks.
- Excludes generic service-capacity, bed-availability or workforce-resource deficiencies unless the report explicitly links them to inadequate contingency planning for safe patient care during staffing disruption.
- Excludes individual failures to escalate, document or deliver care when they are not part of a staffing-disruption contingency plan.
- Reports
- 6
- Individual concerns
- 6
- Date range
- 2018–2026
- Stated actions
- 7
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.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to establish year-round cross-cover within a doctor’s job plan
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
-
Action
Develop a POPS cross-cover rota.
Stated by Cardiff & Vale University LHB -
Action
Prioritise consultant workforce expansion to support 52-week POPS service continuity.
Stated by Cardiff & Vale University LHB
-
Concerns raised1
Lack of clarity over named Surgical Consultant cover for surgical inpatients during unexpected leave
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.3
-
Action
Approve a cross-site SOP addressing patient cover during unexpected general surgery consultant leave.
Stated by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Embed the approved consultant sickness-absence SOP within the surgical division.
Stated by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Remind colleagues that the on-call consultant can respond to acute deterioration or concerns when the named consultant is unavailable.
Stated by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
-
Concerns raised1
Failure of industrial-action contingency planning to provide safe levels of clinical cover
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
Maintain the existing industrial-action planning process and staffing plans for safe levels of medical cover during future industrial action.
Stated by North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
-
Position
Existing industrial-action staffing processes and plans are considered sufficient to provide safe cover and will be maintained during future industrial action.
Stated by North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
-
Position
The Trust considers that staffing levels during industrial action did not cause or contribute to missed opportunities in the patient’s care.
Stated by North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
-
Concerns raised1
Lack of referral cover during SPoE Nurse absence
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.
-
Concerns raised1
Lack of a documented contingency plan for managing patients when staffing shortages prevent their assessed level of care
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
-
Action
Introduce the Safecare Programme across wards covered by section 25B of the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act.
Stated by Aneurin Bevan University LHB
-
Concerns raised1
Lack of a programme to replace unavailable A&E Doctors
This report raised 7 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
-
Position
Short-notice Emergency Department staffing gaps cannot always be covered because of workforce fragility and limited available doctors and agency staff.
Stated by the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
Data last updated 7 September 2026