Sally Warren, Director of Policy at The King’s Fund commented on the new State of care report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC)
‘The CQC’s report provides further evidence that staffing is the make-or-break issue across the NHS and social care. Staff are working under enormous strain as services struggle to recruit, train and retain enough staff with the necessary skills.
‘Long-held ambitions to put mental health on a par with physical health can only be delivered if sufficient numbers of suitably qualified and skilled staff are available. The alarming decline in the quality of specialist mental health inpatient services is a particular concern as these services care for some of society’s most vulnerable people. In particular, too many people with a learning disability or autism are still being unnecessarily warehoused in out-of-sight facilities due to a dearth of community-based support. This must stop, with more services delivered safely in community settings.
‘To address the issues raised by the CQC and improve access to appropriate mental health and learning disability services, urgent action to address workforce shortages is required and models of care that provide high quality care and support need to be put in place.’