CQC publishes first market report on the performance of health and social care providers

England’s care regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has outlined the key problem areas causing care failings in the NHS and the care sector.

Compiled through more than 14,000 unannounced inspections that looked at both care home and home care providers, as well as NHS services, independent hospitals and dental providers, the analysis identified three ‘themes in poor performance’ that the regulator defines as: management of medicines; staffing; and record keeping.

However, the figures compiled by the regulator find that the majority of service providers are meeting their essential standards of quality and safety, recording that 72% of social care providers, 77% of NHS services and 82% of independent providers were fully compliant.

17% of locations inspected were found to be failing of the management of medicines, which the blames on a lack of information provided to either those administering the medicines or those receiving them. 11% of locations failed on staffing issues, with failures to fill vacancies leading to compromise in the quality of care and staff training. And 15% of providers displayed record-keeping issues, with records either being incomplete or kept without effective confidentiality.

In addition to these three essential standards, the CQC has also expressed some concern on the number of care facilities showing signs of deterioration. Deputy chief executive Jill Finney comments on how the regulator hopes the analysis will inform future care sector developments:

“The data that CQC holds on performance across health and social care is unique in breadth and scale. In our first market report, we use this data to look at patterns of performance across sectors, at the specific areas where providers are failing to meet people’s needs – and we describe the action we’ve taken to hold providers to account for these failings.

“We’ve also asked inspectors – our ‘eyes and ears’ on the ground - if there are other emerging trends that are not yet apparent in terms of numbers, but are causing them concern. This adds another dimension to our assessment of risk and where we need to focus our attention – we hope this intelligence will also be useful to other parts of the health and social care system.

“Now that we’ve collected a significant amount of inspection data, we can use this information to probe more deeply into what lies behind risks in the system – this report is the first step in that process.

“CQC will use this information to help target our unannounced inspections – but we also want providers to look closely at this report in order to assure themselves that they are taking all steps necessary to protect people from poor care.”

To read the response of leading care sector professionals click here for our reaction piece: www.carehome.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1557391/cqc-market-report-highlights-the-need-to-challenge-negative-care-sector-perceptions