Care system has hit crisis point according to new care report

England’s health and care system is ‘gridlocked’ and unable to operate effectively, according to Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) annual assessment of the quality of care over the last year. 

The report by the health and care regulator was based on CQC’s inspection activity, information received from the public and those who deliver care alongside other evidence.

Published on Friday, the report found people are still receiving good care when they can access it, but capacity in adult social care has reduced and unmet needs have increased. 

Established in 2009, CQC have also discovered only two in five people are able to leave hospital when they are ready, contributing to record-breaking waits in emergency departments and dangerous ambulance handover delays.

Staff dissatisfaction and recruitment problems have led to ‘alarmingly high’ vacancy rates and without action services will decline, the report has warned.

As well as highlighting concerning staff shortages, the care report highlights areas of higher economic deprivation are the most under pressure when trying to access care outside of hospitals. 

CQC said solutions could only come from long-term planning and investment, with local areas taking a whole system view that recognises the relationship between health and social care and addresses the root causes behind the immediate and obvious problems.

The regulator added that workforce shortages across all sectors needed to be addressed by focusing on shaping more flexible workforce and increasing funding and support for Integrated Care Systems so they can own and deliver a properly funded workforce plan that ensures pay and rewards attract and retain staff.

In this year’s report, the CQC also highlighted its concerns about specific service areas, in particular maternity services and those that care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. CQC has begun a new maternity inspection programme, which aims to help services improve.

Next year, its ongoing programme of work focusing on services for people with a learning disability and autistic people will be extended to residential mental health settings.

Ian Trenholm, Chief Executive of the CQC, said: ‘The health and care system is gridlocked and unable to operate effectively.

‘This means that people are stuck – stuck in hospital because there isn’t the social care support in place for them to leave, stuck in emergency departments waiting for a hospital bed to get the treatment they need, and stuck waiting for ambulances that don’t arrive because those same ambulances are stuck outside hospitals waiting to transfer patients.

‘There’s lots of great care out there,’ Mr Trenholm added. ‘However, the fact is that it’s hard for health and care staff to deliver good care in a gridlocked system. There are no quick fixes, but there are steps to be taken now on planning, investment and workforce that will help to avoid continuing deterioration in people’s access to and experience of care.’

Photo by Claudia Wolff