CQC's State of Care report
In their annual 'State of Care' report, the Care Quality Commission highlighted that a combination of cost-of-living crisis and workforce pressures risks ‘unfair care’ – longer waits, reduced access and poorer outcomes for many people.
This situation is likely to make worse existing heath inequalities and increase the risk of a 'two-tier' system of health care, with people who cannot afford to pay waiting longer.
Amid ongoing pressures in the NHS and the cost of living crisis, the CQC's report uncovered a notable decline in quality of care in maternity, mental health and ambulance services.
Highlights
Maternity services
- Ten per cent of maternity services are rated inadequate overall, while 39% are rated as requires improvement.
- Fifteen per cent of services are rated as inadequate for their safety and 12% rated as inadequate for not being well-led.
- While it has been encouraging that all units inspected so far have adjusted consultant cover to meet recommendations made in the Ockenden report, the cover model is often fragile, with rotas reliant on every consultant being available.
- Delays to care and lack of one-to-one care during labour are highlighted, as well as poor communication with women and difficult working relationships between staff groups.
- Women and babies from ethnic minority groups continue to experience higher risks around birth.
Mental health services
- Access to and quality of mental health care also remain a key area of concern.
- Gaps in community care continue to put pressure on mental health inpatient services, with many inpatient services struggling to provide a bed, which in turn leads to people being cared for in inappropriate environments – often in A&E.
- Safety continues to be an area of concern, with 40% of providers rated as requires improvement or inadequate for safety.
- Recruitment and retention of staff remains one of the biggest challenges for the mental health sector, with the use of bank and agency staff remaining high and almost 1 in 5 mental health nursing posts vacant.
Have you experienced any of these issues?
Have you had personal experiences of mental health or maternity care that are similar to those raised in the report? Get in touch to share your story with us. We gather your evidence and highlight to local NHS leaders where care needs to improve.
