Sector Responds To CQC’s Report On The State Of Health Care And Adult Social Care In England
Sector leaders and organisations have today responded to the care Quality Commissions (CQC) state of health care and adult social care in England report which they say builds on the grim picture from last year about the state of the health and social care system with people struggling to access basic health and care services when and where they need them.
Vic Rayner, NCF CEO commented:
“This year’s CQC report, like so many others, highlights the real impact on people when social care is underfunded and under resourced. If the government is serious about a three-fold shift from hospitals to community, sickness to prevention and analogue to digital, it must invest properly in the community services that people need to live well, including adult social care. When resourced and organised properly, adult social care enables people to live the lives they want, supports them to access wider community and health services at an earlier stage and helps them retain their independence for longer in strong communities – this ultimately reduces demand on acute services.”
“Investment in the care and support workforce will be critical for this, and we again urge the government to adopt the workforce strategy for adult social care facilitated by Skills for Care and developed in collaboration with a wide range of organisations and people with a stake in the future of care services.”
“Finally, the report makes no reference the sharp focus that there has been on the CQC’s regulatory function itself. There is no mention of Dr Dash’s review, Professor Sir Mike Richard’s review of the Single Assessment Framework or the work being undertaken by the Care Provider Alliance to understand the care provider perspective on assessment. Clearly, a well-functioning regulator and framework for assessment is one of the requirements for a well-organised and resourced health and social care system. There is much work to be done to achieve this.”
Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said:
“This report lays bare the intense pressure unpaid carers are under. Many of those caring for loved ones, family or friends are on the brink, left picking up the pieces in a system where there are extreme shortages in good quality social care.”
“At the same time, the report shows the extent to which unpaid carers are overlooked, undervalued and ignored by a disjointed NHS.”
“This is having a major impact on unpaid carers’ ability to look after themselves, with fewer carers now saying they are able to take any breaks to protect their own health and wellbeing. Back in the summer, 88% of Directors of Social Services agreed that unpaid carers in their areas were coming forward with higher levels of need in the last year. This is further evidence that this is a growing crisis.”
“Immediate action is needed to prevent the system collapsing this winter, impacting unpaid carers even further.”
Minesh Patel, Associate Director of Policy & Campaigns at Mind, said:
“This report brings more appalling news for people with mental health problems and their loved ones. Too many are still waiting for far too long to get the help they need in the community, and are getting more unwell while on sometimes year-long waiting lists. This means more people are reaching crisis point, and if there is a bed free locally, they are detained under an outdated Mental Health Act in hospitals that are often run-down and not fit for purpose.”
“Inequities in accessing care have taken root, too, with people in deprived areas, women and people from ethnic minority groups with mental health problems more likely to attend A&E. Black men’s mental health in particular is being impacted – they are more likely to spend longer in hospital and are subject to greater restriction under the outdated Mental Health Act.”
“We cannot allow this report, which is the latest in a series of devastating revelations about the state of mental health services, to just wash over us and for things to carry on as they are. The sheer number of people affected by mental health problems means many of us will love or know someone who is struggling, and not getting the properly resourced, timely and therapeutic care they need. The new UK government has a chance to turn the tide on the nation’s mental health, by prioritising ambitious reforms to the Mental Health Act and capital investment into mental health services at next week’s Budget.”
Nuffield Trust Deputy Director of Policy Natasha Curry said:
“The latest CQC State of Care report clearly amplifies persistent stark figures and warnings about failing services and unequal access to health and social care. From social care provision, to children and young people’s health services, to maternity, dementia and dentistry – it shows access and standards of care are just not keeping up with need.
“The new government has promised it will succeed where others have failed in bringing reform to social care. If they can achieve this, it could help hundreds of thousands of people who draw on care, carers, and staff who work in the sector. But we haven’t seen any detail yet on how they will deliver the promised new National Care Service and bring about long term reform, or even how they plan to sustain the system in the short term, particularly given the worrying state of council finances.”
“Meanwhile, the health system is constantly at breaking point, and we know it does not even have enough funding to keep up with basic day-to-day demand: our new analysis published today shows that the NHS in England is on course to overspend by £4.8bn this financial year.”
“Year-on-year we’ve seen sticking plaster cash injections fail to heal our ailing health and social care services. While longer-term funding settlements are to come next year, next week’s Budget needs to send a clear message that the government is serious about supporting and improving the long-term health and care of the nation.”
Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK said:
“It comes to something when the best we can say about these findings is that they suggest social care hasn’t been further degraded in the last year from its already precarious state. However, this may be only a temporary reprieve if rumours of further cuts to local government funding in the Budget prove correct and given the sharp reduction in care professionals coming here from abroad.”
“Too many older people are having to go into hospital and then getting stuck there when medically fit to leave because there’s no social care to support them at home. It’s a vicious circle and one that’s causing enormous heartache and distress for our older population – and huge difficulties for the NHS too.”
“New innovations like community-based falls services, hospital at home teams and local care hubs should all help, but the continuing lack of social care, especially at home, remains a serious problem in many places.”
Without enough money or people, it’s impossible to provide older people with the high-quality support they require to live decently. Nothing could better demonstrate the urgent need for the Government to bring forward meaningful social care refinancing and reform.”
Director of Policy at the Health Foundation, Hugh Alderwick, said:
“Following Lord Darzi’s stark diagnosis of the state of the NHS, the CQC’s latest State of Care report provides yet more evidence of the scale of challenges facing the new government.”
“The report points to the pressures right across the health and care system – with too many people going without the care they need, unfair differences between areas, and concerns about quality of care for some groups, including children and young people.”
“The new government has emphasised the depth of the crisis that it has inherited. Now in power, it is their responsibility to fix it. The start of a national conversation on a new NHS plan is welcome – as are promises to bring forward a plan for social care. But ministers must avoid repeating mistakes of successive governments that promised social care reform then failed to deliver.”
“Big ambitions on reform must be accompanied by investment. Labour should remember that its last round of reforms responsible for turning around NHS performance in the 2000s did so backed by substantial increases in spending. The Chancellor’s first Budget next week is an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to getting the NHS back on its feet.”
