A Care Quality Commission (CQC) report shows that most people are still getting good care – but the health and care system is ‘straining at the seams’.
This year’s State of Care report shows that, thanks to the efforts of staff and leaders, the quality of health and social care has been maintained despite very real challenges and the majority of people are getting good, safe care. But future quality is precarious as the system struggles with complex new types of demand, access and cost.
The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) annual assessment of the quality of health and social care in England contains much that is encouraging. As at 31 July 2017, 78% of adult social care services were rated good (71% were rated good at 31 July 2016) as were 55% of NHS acute hospital core services (2016: 51%); 68% of NHS mental health core services (2016: 61%) and 89% of GP practices (2016: 83%).
From this analysis, it is clear that the quality of care has been maintained. However, the changing nature of demand – increasingly numbers of older people who are physically frail, many with dementia, more people with long term complex conditions – is placing unprecedented pressure on the system. In acute hospitals, this means more people waiting over four hours at A&E; more planned operations cancelled, and people waiting longer for treatment. And in adult social care, the number of beds in nursing homes has decreased across most of England and domiciliary care contracts are being handed back to councils because providers say the funding is insufficient to meet people’s needs; estimates show that one in eight older people are not receiving the help they need.
A very small minority of care was found to be failing people – between 1% and 3% of providers across the services CQC regulates were rated inadequate. There is also much care that needs to improve: 19% (2016: 26%) of adult social care services; 37% (2016: 39%) of NHS acute core services; 24% (2016: 33%) of NHS mental health core services; and 6% (2016: 10%) of GP practices were rated as requires improvement.
Sir David Behan, chief executive of CQC, said: “The fact that the quality of care has been maintained in the toughest climate that most can remember is testament to the efforts of frontline staff, managers and leaders. Many providers have used our inspection reports to improve, and we have seen improvements in safety in particular, although this area remains a big concern and focus for us. However, as people’s health and care needs change and become more complex, a model of care designed for the 20th century is at full stretch and struggling to cope with 21st century problems.
“The impact of this on people is particularly evident where sectors come together – or fail to come together, as the complex patchwork of health and social care strains at the seams.”
