Unreliable communication with cardiology teams about patient care
First to latest report 2 Apr 2024 — 6 Mar 2026
Reports that mention this concern
4
Times this concern has been raised
4
Stated actions linked to this concern
11
What this concern includes
Includes failures in communication between cardiology teams and other clinicians or hospital teams involved in patient care, including communicating clinical findings, seeking or providing cardiology advice, and ensuring relevant information reaches the responsible cardiology or treating team.
What is not included
Excludes general clinical communication or inter-specialty communication failures where cardiology is not a material part of the asserted concern.
Excludes cardiology referral, appointment, test-access or specialist-review failures where communication with cardiology is not itself the unsafe condition.
Excludes failures to act on cardiology advice or findings after they have been reliably communicated.
Excludes generic staffing, training, documentation or service-capacity deficiencies unless they directly impair communication with cardiology teams.
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.
Cardiff & Vale University LHB1
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital1
Great Ormond Street Hospital1
NHS England1
the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust1
the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust1
NHS trust2
Executive non-departmental public body1
Healthcare site1
Local health board1
Reports and published responses 4 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
Gwent
Concerns raised1
Inadequate communication of clinical findings to the Cardiology team
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
Cardiff & Vale University LHB
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
Cardiff & Vale University LHB
Circulate guidance on when and how physiologists should escalate patients to a cardiologist.
Cardiff & Vale University LHB
Develop specific Cardiac Physiology inboxes within the existing e-Advice system.
Cardiff & Vale University LHB
Establish audits of notes-standard compliance and e-Advice usage and response times.
Inner West London
Concerns raised1
Failure of on-call paediatric cardiology communication between team members and hospital teams seeking advice
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children 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.2
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
Maintain two daytime resident cardiology doctors to separate incoming external calls from follow-up communication and advice.
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Reinforce cardiac referral pathways, cardiology advice processes and early care planning through neonatal induction for new and locum consultants.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
Referring trusts are responsible for understanding and applying cardiology advice and documenting it in their own records.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
GOSH is responsible for addressing communication concerns within its paediatric cardiology team.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin
Concerns raised1
Failure of document exchange and communication between gastroenterology and cardiology teams
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
NHS England
the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital 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.5
the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
Conduct a Patient Safety Incident Investigation into inpatient-to-outpatient referral risks and identify the safest referral system.
the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
Require each inpatient specialty to document and share a standard operating procedure defining referral processes, responsibilities and safety-netting.
the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
Establish a single outpatient-referral email for each specialty, with referrals managed through standard triage and follow-up processes.
the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
Raise a project feasibility request to assess a digital referral-management solution for scoping and potential inclusion on the Trust’s digital roadmap.
NHS England
Develop and roll out the national Frontline Digitisation Programme, including electronic-record deployment guidance and support for safe implementation.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
NHS England
The concerns fall outside NHS England’s role and remit as a commissioner of certain healthcare services.
Outside remitThe respondent said that this matter was outside its role or authority.
NHS England
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust is responsible for addressing the concerns raised in the report.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
South Yorkshire (Eastern)
Concerns raised1
Lack of communication between services for wound management
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
the Rotherham 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.1
the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
Communicate Tissue Viability Nurse referral criteria and raise awareness of the service across the Trust through collaborative Quality Governance work.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.