Unreliable emergency arrangements for assisting third parties
First to latest report 10 Jul 2018 — 16 Jun 2026
Reports that mention this concern
3
Times this concern has been raised
3
Stated actions linked to this concern
2
What this concern includes
Includes deficiencies in explicitly identified emergency protocols, policies, guidance, training or inter-agency arrangements for assisting a third party, including assessing deterioration, arranging suitable supervision or care, initiating emergency attendance, coordinating agencies and defining responsibility when the third party is not the original service user or caller.
What is not included
Excludes generic emergency response, communication or safeguarding deficiencies where no third-party assistance context is identified.
Excludes ordinary care or medical assessment failures concerning the direct service user when no third party requires assistance.
Excludes downstream ambulance, police or clinical response failures after responsibility and the required emergency arrangement have been clearly established.
Excludes unrelated multi-agency protocols, such as event emergency arrangements, unless they specifically concern emergency assistance to a third party.
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.
Association of Ambulance Chief Executives2
NHS England2
South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust2
Appello Careline Limited1
Appello Limited1
College of Policing1
Dyfed-Powys Police1
NHS Pathways1
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust1
TSA – The Voice of Technology Enabled Care1
Wiltshire Police1
Worthing Homes Limited1
NHS trust3
Executive non-departmental public body2
Health-sector membership body2
Company1
National policing body1
Police force1
Private limited company1
Professional membership body1
Registered provider of social housing1
Sub-organisation1
Reports and published responses 3 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
West Sussex, Brighton and Hove
Concerns raised1
Lack of careline policy, guidance and training for third-party emergencies
This report raised 8 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Appello Careline Limited
Association of Ambulance Chief Executives
TSA
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
Appello Careline Limited
Update operator training materials to clarify handling of assistance requests concerning people other than the service user.
TSA
Strengthen CPD and learning programmes for QSF-certified organisations, covering records, operator competence, training, decision-support tools, escalation, and information-sharing with emergency services.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.5
Appello Careline Limited
Existing procedures already require appropriate assistance where someone other than the service user needs help.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Appello Careline Limited
Existing procedures, training, auditing and continuous improvement provide a robust framework for managing the identified risks.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Association of Ambulance Chief Executives
The organisation cannot offer a view on guidance for careline operators handling assistance calls made on behalf of another person.
Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
Association of Ambulance Chief Executives
The organisation and its members cannot provide the clinical governance needed for a telecare decision-support tool.
Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
Association of Ambulance Chief Executives
Responsibility for continuing telecare decision-support-tool work was transferred to NHS England's stewardship.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
West Sussex
Concerns raised1
Different ambulance-call handling for third-party callers
This report raised 7 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Wiltshire and Swindon
Concerns raised1
Absence of third-party care and deterioration provisions in the 2017 agreement
This report raised 7 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
No linked response statements
No 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.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.