CQC’s State of Care report warns of mounting pressure on mental health services
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has today published its annual State of Care report, looking at health and social care’s performance, quality and challenges.
The national watchdog has warned that the quality of care is at risk of deteriorating without the necessary investment needed to shift care from hospitals to communities.
Its key findings included:
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Community services need significant investment in order to help realise the vision of the 10-year plan
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There has been an increase of 15% in monthly referrals for mental health services since 2022/23
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Longer waits are linked to worsening mental health. Although an improvement on the 2023 survey findings, more than two fifths of respondents said they felt their mental health got worse while waiting for care
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There is a lack of holistic care that properly addresses both physical and mental health due to system pressures. Services often focus on medical treatment rather than addressing social, emotional and physical needs
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Systemic recruitment and retention issues remain, which are creating significant challenges around staff experience and skills. Staff reported feeling burned out and overworked
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Over a third of respondents to the community mental health survey said they were not given a choice about how their care and treatment would be delivered, and over 1 in 4 (28%) said they did not feel in control of their care
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There remain longstanding health inequalities faced by Black people. The CQC commissioned Queen Mary University and University College London to carry out a rapid review of what ‘good’ looks like in relation to care for Black men. Black people are 3 to 5 times more likely to be diagnosed and admitted to hospital with schizophrenia compared with all other ethnic groups
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Several mental health inpatient providers have raised concerns that ageing estates are increasingly unfit for purpose and do not meet the needs, or even safety requirements, of patients and staff.
Minesh Patel, Associate Director of Policy and Influencing at Mind, said:
“This report makes clear that without the necessary investment the government will not realise its ambitious plans to shift care from hospital to community, outlined in the 10-year plan. Without proper resourcing and staffing, services risk being overwhelmed by demand, with the most marginalised groups bearing the greatest impact. But the report shows the difference that trauma-informed, person-centred care can make to people living with mental health problems.
“We also need to turn the tide once and for all on inequities in mental health care, particularly with Black men who continue to face pervasive barriers to accessing services including stigma and a lack of culturally appropriate care.
"The CQC has highlighted the importance of the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) as a tool to tackle racism and dehumanisation, but there is poor awareness and a lack of consistency in applying it in mental health inpatient settings - this must change. This must form part of the wholesale cultural change we need to see to mental health services, including reforms to the Mental Health Act to tackle racial inequities.”
