The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC’s) annual assessment of the state of health and social care in England has recognised the “long shadow that Covid-19 will continue to cast over the health and care system” but recognises the hope provided by the vaccination programme that the virus can be contained.
CQC says “the system has not collapsed – but the toll taken on many of the individual care workers has been heavy. As we approach winter, the workforce is drained in terms of both resilience and capacity and this has the potential to impact on the quality of care they deliver.”
“Staffing pressures are being felt across all health and care settings. However, the impact is being seen most acutely in adult social care, where providers are competing for staff with the retail and hospitality industries.
Data from information submitted to CQC by providers of residential care shows the vacancy rate rising month-on-month from 6% in April to 10.2% in September.”
Some care homes whose attempts at recruitment have failed are now having to cancel their registration to provide nursing care, leaving residents looking for new homes in local areas that are already at, or close to full capacity.”
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