CQC Publishes 'State of Care' Report 2020 - 2021
The annual assessment of the state of health and social care in England reveals the challenges within the NHS and broader services.
The impact of the pandemic
The new CQC report inevitably reflects the dramatic impact which the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the state of health and social care in England.
It recognises that the NHS and social care services have managed to continue to provide a service through this period but that this has been at some considerable cost.
The report observes that, largely, the problems now faced by those working in, leading and receiving care the health care service, predated the pandemic but have been sharply exacerbated by it.
- Demands on acute services have increased adding to pressure on staffing
- Waiting lists for procedures have increased with an expectation that this will continue. Predictions are that, by 2022, waiting lists could reach between 9 million and 14 million people.
- Staffing pressures and demand in social care, particularly adult social care, has increased
- Pressures on the ambulance service and emergency services have increased
- Inequalities in access to healthcare such as for Black and ethnic minority women and those with learning disabilities have increased
- Mental health services have come under increased pressure
- Many people found it difficult to access care or were reluctant to do so during the pandemic
- Staffing in primary cares services is an increasing concern
Positive responses to the crisis
The report identified many examples of innovative responses to the crisis within the healthcare system, enabling patients to continue to access support. It further noted benefits of more collaborative working between service sectors to ease pressures and guide patients to the most appropriate source of support.
It further noted the need for sustained government funding to enable on-going improvement to take place.
Future concerns and challenges
On-going concerns were also identified such as the possible negative circumstances within 'closed cultures' such as a psychiatric ward, the need for faster improvement in maternity services, and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
Challenges for the future within the health and social care services were flagged up as requiring greater collaboration within services and systems in order to provide better care, the need to tackle inequalities in access to care, the need to address workforce challenges and the recovery of services after the pandemic.
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