Efficient paging in a communications system including macro and small cell base stations is described. A macro cell base station receives, from a network node, a request to page a UE and determines a set of base stations including one or more small cell base stations, which are to attempt to page the UE. The macro cell base station communicates the paging request to the selected one or more small cell base stations. A small cell base station, using unlicensed spectrum, may fail in its paging attempt due to current unavailability of the unlicensed spectrum (LBT fails to clear) resulting in no paging signal transmitted; the reason for failure is communicated from the small cell base station to the macro cell base station via a paging response message. The macro cell base station in turn communicates a paging response message to the network node communicating the reason for failure.