At TMLEP, our investigations often highlight four recurring clinical risks.

At TMLEP, our investigations often highlight four recurring clinical risks:

• Incomplete consent processes.
• Delayed diagnoses.
• Communication breakdowns.
• Inconsistent documentation.

Understanding why these issues occur — and their impact — is crucial for improving patient safety.

Incomplete consent typically arises from time pressures and assumptions that patients understand their treatment. When consent is rushed or poorly recorded, patients may feel misled, and clinicians may face legal challenges. Improving this relies on structured, patient-centred consent discussions and clear documentation.

Delayed diagnoses often result from overloaded systems, cognitive biases, or missed follow-ups. These delays can worsen patient outcomes and expose clinicians to criticism. Solutions include strengthening follow-up systems, encouraging escalation when in doubt, and providing training to support accurate clinical decision-making.

Communication breakdowns are frequently caused by fragmented care pathways and informal information sharing. Critical details can be lost, putting patient safety at risk. Using structured communication tools like SBAR and promoting a culture of openness can significantly reduce this risk.

Reliable documentation underpins effective teamwork and continuity of care. Encouraging detailed, standardised record-keeping helps ensure that important clinical decisions and actions are clearly captured and understood.

These issues aren’t isolated—they reflect wider patterns across healthcare systems. TMLEP’s investigations help identify these risks at their source, providing the insights needed to drive targeted improvements and support safer clinical practice.