The Care Quality Commission has published its annual State of Care report for 2022/23. The report is an assessment of health and social care in England. The primary issues that are highlighted by the CQC are as follows:
Access to services – this remains a fundamental problem, particularly for people with protected equality characteristics.
Waiting times – a record numbers of people are waiting for planned care and treatment, with over 7 million people on elective care waiting lists in June 2023. But the CQC notes that the true number of people could be much higher, as some people who need treatment are struggling to get a referral from their GP.
Struggles to get GP and dental appointments – as a result, some people are using urgent and emergency care services as the first point of contact, or not seeking help until their condition has worsened.
Delays in getting care from urgent and emergency care services – In 2022, over half (51%) of respondents to our urgent and emergency care survey said they waited more than an hour before being examined by a nurse or doctor, up from 28% in 2020.
Insufficient capacity in adult social care – this is causing delays in discharging people from hospital. Ongoing staffing and financial pressures in residential and community services are having an impact on the quality of people’s care, with some at greater risk of not receiving the care they need.
The full report can be found here