Includes failures in dedicated emergency forced-entry arrangements, including missing or unclear legal powers, authority, responsibility, decision-making or procedures for ambulance, fire, police or comparable emergency services seeking entry to protect or treat a person inside premises.
What is not included
Excludes ordinary building access or key-management failures where no emergency forced-entry authority or arrangement is at issue.
Excludes general emergency response delays that do not concern gaining lawful entry to premises.
Excludes unrelated gaps in police, ambulance or fire powers that do not concern emergency entry to premises for a person requiring urgent protection or treatment.
Excludes generic communication or training deficiencies unless they directly cause uncertainty or failure in the emergency forced-entry arrangement.
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.
Greater Manchester Police2
College of Policing1
Home Office1
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government1
Police force2
Ministerial department1
National policing body1
Reports and published responses 3 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
East Riding and Hull
Concerns raised1
Lack of emergency powers of entry for ambulance and fire services
Linked responses
Home Office
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Engage Department of Health and Social Care counterparts about ambulance personnel access rights.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Fire and rescue authorities cannot use PACE entry powers but possess independent statutory emergency entry powers under the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004.
Disputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
Home Office
Ambulance and Fire and Rescue services’ powers of entry fall outside the Home Office’s remit.
Outside remitThe respondent said that this matter was outside its role or authority.
Home Office
Ambulance and Fire and Rescue services’ powers of entry are matters for the responsible health and fire departments.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Manchester West
Concerns raised1
Lack of clarity about lawful authority and responsibility for forced entry
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
College of Policing
Greater Manchester Police
North West Ambulance Service 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.3
College of Policing
Support forces and partner agencies to develop and disseminate local protocols defining responsibilities for forced entry.
Greater Manchester Police
Implement the inter-agency Gaining Entry Memorandum of Understanding defining responsibility for forced entry when NWAS requires access.
Greater Manchester Police
Audit staff understanding of the RCRP policy and provide subject-matter-expert support where misunderstandings or ambiguity are identified.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.5
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
NWAS cannot force entry to properties because it lacks the legal powers and equipment.
Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
College of Policing
Police generally lack power to enter private dwellings for welfare checks absent a real and immediate risk, serious harm or suspected crime.
Disputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
College of Policing
Local partnerships must determine agency responsibility for forced entry, with partner agencies potentially providing appropriate powers, training and equipment.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Greater Manchester Police
The existing gaining-entry memorandum clearly allocates responsibilities and provides entry support through GMFRS or, if necessary, GMP.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Greater Manchester Police
GMFRS is the primary agency to force entry when NWAS leads a concern-for-welfare incident and requests assistance.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Manchester South
Concerns raised1
Lack of a clearly thought-out and applied policy for forced entry decisions
This report raised 6 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
Greater Manchester Police
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
Greater Manchester Police
Use the case example in method-of-entry training to teach officers to balance legal entry thresholds with indicators requiring urgent entry to save life.
Greater Manchester Police
Issue a forcewide message encouraging and empowering officers to use forced entry when welfare concerns justify it.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Greater Manchester Police
No policy issues are known to have affected the officers’ decisions in this case.
Disputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
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.