Our response to the CQC’s State of Care report
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published its annual analysis on people’s experiences of health and adult social care in England.
Findings from more than 35,000 inspections underpin its fourth annual State of Care report, which considers how care is delivered in hospitals, care homes, dental surgeries and in the community.
Key findings from the report include:
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More than half a million people aged 65 and over were admitted as an emergency to hospital with ‘avoidable’ conditions in the last year – including almost one in ten aged 75 and over (396,000 people)
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The number of ‘avoidable’ emergency admissions varies from place to place, with some parts of the country managing much better than others
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People with dementia continue to have poorer outcomes in hospital
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Although CQC has seen some improvements in care across sectors, where inspectors find poor care it is serious and having a disproportionately large impact on people’s health and wellbeing.
Responding to the CQC’s State of Care report, Anna Bradley, Chair of the health and social care consumer champion Healthwatch England, said:
"This report highlights some shocking statistics about the number of emergency admissions that could have been avoided, particularly among the elderly and those with dementia, all because hospitals, GPs and care services cannot talk to one another properly.
"Despite increased focus on the need to improve patient experience, there has been 'no overall improvement' across the NHS in treating people with the dignity and respect they deserve.
"The picture in social care isn't any rosier, with one in five nursing homes flagged for failing to meet even basic safety standards around giving out medication and conducting the right level of assessments for new residents.
"On Tuesday we heard the Secretary of State's plan for fixing the NHS, but preventing melt-down in the social care sector is just as important to ensure people have a seamless and above all safe experience when getting the help and support they need.
"As the voice of consumers, who are both patients and care users, local Healthwatch can provide the policy makers and commissioners with a unique insight in the impact their reforms are having and what other changes are desperately needed to ensure all of us are able to access the safe, dignified and high quality care we deserve."
