https://club.hcqc.co.uk/c/self-audits/edit-lesson/sections/517639/lessons/2458852
Shared mailboxes — like your NHSmail inbox, Docman workflow, or clinical task list — are more than just a convenience. They are critical infrastructure for delivering safe, effective and timely care.
Every day, these inboxes receive:
- Discharge summaries
- Test results
- Patient communications
- Requests from hospitals, community teams, and pharmacies
And every item in those inboxes is a task waiting to become a risk if not seen, actioned or followed up.
The Risks of Poor Inbox Management
We’ve seen it time and again in inspection feedback and significant event reviews:
- An abnormal result sits unprocessed
- A referral outcome goes unseen
- A medication change never reaches the GP
- A patient message is missed during a busy day
It’s not about blame — it’s about having robust systems so that no matter who’s off, who’s busy, or how full the inbox is, nothing falls through the cracks.
✅ Why We’ve Built This Audit
This audit is designed to help you assess whether:
- Responsibilities for shared inboxes are clear and covered
- Items are triaged and actioned promptly and appropriately
- Escalation processes are known and used
- Safety-netting is built into your everyday systems
It moves you from hoping it’s all being done… to knowing it is.
💬 Leadership Insight
You can have brilliant individuals — but if the system isn’t clear, safe care becomes dependent on memory, availability and chance. That’s not sustainable. This audit helps you build governance around communication, so the system supports the people — not the other way around.
