"Once again, the State of Care report highlights the urgent challenges facing healthcare providers and the impact this can have on the safety of patients. It is particularly worrying to hear that, at pivotal moments in their lives, children and young people are not getting the access to care that they need.
“It is not surprising that we are seeing many of the same issues set out in the report in our investigations. HSSIB reports have identified concerns with learning disability care in hospitals, examined GP continuity of care and access to GPs and looked at the design of paediatric wards and how they impact on mental health safety. We will look at where we can examine other key areas identified in the State of Care relating to workforce pressure, delays in receiving treatment and inequalities and disparities in care.
“We have been looking in-depth at mental health inpatient care and we agree that there are serious concerns and gaps within services, for adults and children and young people. Findings in the report we published yesterday focusing on the importance of therapeutic care aligns with the CQC’s view that ‘lack of resources, ageing estates and poorly designed facilities are affecting the safety of inpatient wards.’ In December, we will publish a report focusing on the risks children and young people face when transitioning to adult inpatient settings.
“It is positive that the State of Care emphasises the importance of collaborative working, not just only between healthcare organisations but also other agencies. The report is a stark but important assessment of where we are now and is a reminder that we all have role to play in ensuring people get the right care, at the right time and in the right place. We believe that to reduce patient harm, it is important any new risks identified reports like this are acted on. Our view is that care can be vastly improved by taking a different and more proactive approach to managing safety in healthcare.”
