The report, published in October 2024, identifies worsening issues in staffing shortages, long wait times, and system pressures that affect service accessibility and quality. One key issue is the ongoing struggle within primary care and community services, where GP accessibility remains a major hurdle. This leads to many patients seeking emergency care or going without necessary treatment, putting added strain on already overwhelmed hospitals.
In adult social care, the CQC warns of critical staffing deficits that hinder the capacity to provide consistent, quality care, with many facilities under intense operational pressure. Mental health services, too, are highlighted for requiring urgent reform, as access to timely and adequate mental health support remains challenging, particularly for young people, Black men, and those with learning disabilities. The report calls attention to the disproportionate impact of these service limitations on vulnerable groups, which threatens to deepen existing health inequalities.
Furthermore, the CQC emphasizes the need for improved collaboration between care sectors, especially with integrated care systems, which it argues are vital to delivering more seamless, patient-centred care. The agency stresses that without significant improvements and systemic reforms, the nation risks failing to meet the needs of its aging and growing population effectively.
We appreciate and understand the need for collaboration and have built our business based on partnerships to support integrated care systems. Airmid Staffing works in collaboration with Social Care to ensure the services we provide are what is needed when they are needed, with our large trained talent pool of UK based staff.