Patients Association Condemns NHS and Social Care for Neglecting the Most Vulnerable.

London, 25th October 2024 – The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has released their State of Care report today, revealing a healthcare system that is struggling on multiple fronts. The report highlights deepening inequalities, critical safety concerns, and unacceptable waiting times across all services.

According to the report, the healthcare system is increasingly unable to meet even basic care needs. This is evident in areas such as maternity care, mental health, GP access, and hospital discharges. Most concerning, the systemic failures are disproportionately affecting society’s most vulnerable individuals, as health inequalities continue to have a detrimental impact on patients.

The report presents alarming statistics, including: children in the most deprived areas being twice as likely to experience tooth decay, people in the most deprived areas being three times more likely to need emergency hospital treatment, and rural communities facing the longest GP waiting times. In addition, Black individuals are over three and a half times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act, and only a quarter of people with learning disabilities are recorded on the learning disability register. Furthermore, the waiting time for autism assessments has reached nearly a year, instead of the recommended three months.

The Patients Association, an independent patient charity, is calling on the government to launch an urgent cross-department action plan to address these issues. The plan should include tackling poverty and its impact on health, addressing the rural-urban healthcare divide, ensuring equal access to dental care for all children, confronting discrimination and racism in health services, and providing proper support for all carers, particularly those from ethnic minority communities.

The crisis is not limited to one specific area of healthcare, as highlighted in the report. Diagnostic waiting lists have increased by 52% since 2019, with 1.62 million people now waiting. Cancer waiting time standards are consistently being missed, and mental health patients are facing lengthy delays for treatment. Social care delays are also leaving 4,000 people stranded in hospital each day.

The Patients Association stresses the need for joined-up action across government departments to address these issues before they become even more deeply embedded in our society.

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Notes to editors

About the Patients Association

The Patients Association is an independent patient charity that campaigns for improvements in health and social care for patients. The organization believes that patients should be actively involved in decisions made about their care and in the design of the health and care system. As an independent charity, the Patients Association advocates for improvements in health and social care, with the belief that these improvements can only be achieved through collaboration with patients. Through their helpline and information services, the organization provides information to thousands of people each year about the health and social care system, empowering them to advocate for themselves.

Press release distributed by Pressat on behalf of the Patients Association, on 25th October 2024.