Lockdown measures have left health and social care services 'struggling', CQC says
CQC says feedback is vital in improving services struggling amid the Covid pandemic - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images
Residents in Brent, Hackney and Islington are being urged to give feedback on health and social care services after new research shows many are "struggling to cope" following the pandemic.
A report published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) this month carries a stark message on the challenges faced by health and social care services in England.
The CQC's research reveals the impact of lockdown measures on the wellbeing of people who use care services, with nearly three quarters of carers (73 per cent) saying Covid restrictions had an impact on the mental health of the person they care for.
That is why CQC, in partnership with Healthwatch England, is calling on people across the capital to give feedback on services as part of its Because We All Care campaign.
Kate Terroni, chief inspector of Adult Social Care at CQC said: "The recent pressures on services, the emergence of the Omicron variant and the impact this is having on the availability of workforce – a workforce that CQC reported to be exhausted and depleted in our State of Care report in October, continue to impact on the availability and quality of care people receive."
However, the CQC's research also shows the value that giving feedback can have.
Over half (55pc) of those who provided positive feedback felt better as a result and eight in 10 staff said it was valuable.
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Ms Terroni added: "We use feedback to inform our regulatory action, conducting 10,000 inspections since the pandemic began to ensure people are receiving high quality care.
"We could not do this without the concerns people raise, and the positive feedback on services."
The CQC also found that throughout the pandemic care was most commonly impacted by increased waiting times for appointments and procedures and a lack of resources and equipment.
But despite almost half of respondents believing that sharing feedback would have a positive impact, just one in five care users got in touch about a negative experience since the start of the pandemic.
The latest research follows warnings the CQC made in October 2021 that unless action was taken, the country faces a “tsunami of need” in care.
To give feedback visit www.cqc.org.uk/give-feedback-on-care or call 03000 616161
