WIREDGOV

The Patients Association welcomes the publication of today’s State of Care report by the CQC. The report confirms that patients are not getting the services they should, as reliably as they should, and that the problem lies more with accessing services than with quality of care.

John Kell, Head of Policy at the Patients Association, said:

“Patients often call our helpline for assistance with, at best, navigating a disjointed system – and at worst, battling it. This report confirms the same issues, from the system’s perspective.

“Several items of particular concern leap out. The fact that July saw the highest number of A+E attendances on record – in the middle of summer, even if an unusually hot one – gives us anxiety about the winter ahead.

“Worse still, our entire model of social care appears to be in active collapse, with providers exiting the market and handing contracts back – no wonder that the CQC report poor levels of access for people who need social care. It is inexcusable that things have been allowed to get this bad.

“Fortunately the solutions to these problems are already well understood. As well as adequate funding for both health and social care, we need a major shift of resources into community services to keep people well, and these must be delivered in full partnership with patients at every stage. Today’s report helps throw the challenges that the forthcoming ten year plan must meet into even sharper definition.”