GP practices’ CQC ratings continue to improve, with 93% now rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ despite the health and care system ‘straining at the seams’, a report from the watchdog has found.
The CQC’s State of Care report, published today, shows that practice’s ratings have continued to improve, despite already being the highest performing CQC-regulated sector.
It showed that 89% of practices were rated ‘good’ and 4% ‘outstanding’ in July 2017 – up from 86% and 4% in May.
The report says that across all sectors NHS and social care staff have persevered in the face of ‘very real challenges’ and the majority of people are getting good,safe care.
But the report also warns quality of care in future is under threat from a host of demand, access and cost pressures, which have affected the ratings of other providers.
The CQC found that:
- 78% of adult social care services rated ‘good’, and 2% ‘outstanding’;
- 55% of acute hospital services rated ‘good’, and 6% ‘outstanding’;
- 68% of mental health services rated ‘good’, and 6% ‘outstanding’.
A CQC graphic shows that only 2% of practices rated good were rated ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’ on second inspection – 1% were subsequently found to be outstanding.
In the other sectors, there was a huge drop off in ratings on second inspection – 26% and 23% of ‘good’ mental health providers and adult social care providers resprectively were found to be ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ on second inspection.
Sir David Behan, CQC chief executive said: ‘The fact that the quality of care has been maintained in the toughest climate that most can remember is testament to the efforts of frontline staff, managers and leaders.’
He said many providers used CQC inspections to improve their rating on re-inspection but safety of services remains a ‘big concern’ and the NHS is ‘at full stretch’ managing 21st century demands with a ‘20th century model of care’.
He also blasted the fragmented commissioning system in mental health and lack of funding in social care as serious concerns that need to be addressed.
BMA chair and GP Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: ‘It is certainly encouraging to see that the NHS is providing good levels of care for patients, particularly in general practice where we know that GPs are consistently under enormous pressure, but it is worrying that almost 1 in 4 acute hospital services and almost a quarter of mental health services are having their performance affected by lack of resources, system pressures and chronic underfunding.’
Deterioration and improvements in CQC rating on reinspection across all sectors
Source: CQC
