State of Care annual review published

The Care Quality Commission has published its annual review of health and social care. A clue to their conclusions: the past year is described as “turbulent”.

Ian Dilks, Chair of CQC, said: “The challenges described in this year’s State of Care are to some degree caused by a lack of joined-up planning, investment, and delivery of care.

“Integrated care systems present the opportunity of bringing together local health and care leaders with the populations they support to understand, plan, and deliver care at a local level. This would in time move some of the focus of care away from big institutions and towards local and self-care provision, with autonomy to act on local population needs and an increased focus on preventing poor health, not just treating it.

“However, in our first look across local care systems, we found that while all systems have some equality and health inequalities objectives, these plans do not all have timeframes and measures. All systems need clear and realistic goals – and support to achieve these – that reflect how they will address unwarranted variations in population health and disparities in access, outcomes, and experience of health and social care.

“This opportunity must be grasped to ensure fairer care for everyone – so people get the care they need, not just the care they can afford.”

You can read the full State of Care report on the CQC website.