Recurring concern
Unreliable controls for restricting dangerous items in inpatient care
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Request correctionFirst reported 6 Jun 2014•Latest report 21 Apr 2023
What this concern includes
Includes inpatient-care controls for identifying, recording, removing, restricting, tracking or checking dangerous or banned items, including responsibility at admission, environmental or room checks, monitoring of removed items and verification that restrictions remain effective.
Not included
- Excludes generic staffing, training, documentation or risk-assessment deficiencies unless they directly impair controls for restricting dangerous items in inpatient care.
- Excludes ordinary property management and non-safety-related belongings controls.
- Excludes medication-security concerns, ligature-point controls and self-harm prevention processes when the assertion does not specifically concern identifying or restricting dangerous items in inpatient care.
- Excludes care-home, custodial or domestic item-control concerns unless the assertion explicitly supports the same inpatient-care process.
- Reports
- 7
- Individual concerns
- 8
- Date range
- 2014–2023
- Stated actions
- 3
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 clarity about responsibility for identifying and removing banned and restricted items at 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.
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
Clarifying responsibility for identifying and removing banned or restricted items at admission is outside NHS England’s remit.
Stated by NHS England
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Position
Priory Group is identified as the appropriate organisation to address responsibility for removing banned or restricted items at admission.
Stated by NHS England
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Concerns raised2
Failure to recover and check restricted items when patients return to the ward
Ambiguous scope of restrictions on giving hazardous items to patients
This report raised 17 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
Failure of searches to detect and remove dangerous contraband
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
Revise the search policy to govern search-information handover and review, and the disposal or storage of seized items, then disseminate the changes.
Stated by East London NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Create and deliver a search training course, record completion in ESR, provide it at induction and every two years, and monitor compliance.
Stated by East London NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Failure to maintain garden planting that prevents concealment of dangerous and contraband items
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.
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
Existing garden foliage is considered sufficient because it balances concealment risk and reduces access to the fence.
Stated by Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Incomplete and flawed checks and removal of dangerous items from patient rooms
This report raised 10 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 effective tracking of items taken from and returned to patients
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.
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
Implement a safe system for recording items stored in and removed from patient PODS.
Stated by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Local Health Board
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Position
Responsibility for NHS matters in Wales is devolved and falls outside the scope of this England policy response.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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Concerns raised1
Insufficient searching of patients’ property for concealed dangerous items
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.
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 Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is responsible for addressing the four concerns relating to events on the Dova Unit.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
Data last updated 7 September 2026