What has the quality regulator found wrong with Birmingham and Liverpool’s health and social care services?
The Care Quality Commission has published reviews of health and social care services in Birmingham and Liverpool.
In Birmingham, the review looked into how older people move through the system and how services collaborate to help that.
Some of the findings were:
- people’s experiences were variable and access and availability of services was inconsistent across the city
- fewer people had the chance to exercise choice and control over their care and support and some were offered care placements in parts of the city that were not accessible to their families
- some people were admitted to hospital with social care needs that could have been managed better at home and some people stayed in hospital for longer than they needed to
- the use of community and primary care services was not being maximised through the system
Among a number of suggestions, CQC reviewers said improvements could be made by fostering a strengthened relationship between the Birmingham and Solihull Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) board and the health and wellbeing board needs to clarify roles and responsibilities.
The review adds that a consistent approach to identifying high-risk population groups and managing risks to people within the community should be developed across the city, and future commissioning of services should be based on these findings.
In Liverpool, as in Birmingham, the experiences of people using health and social care services varied. The review states that people were not always seen in the right place, at the right time by the right person; and there were inconsistencies in commissioning and provision of services.
It went on to say that local people were not actively enabled to participate in service planning and delivery.
Further information
CQC: CQC publishes its review of how local health and social care systems work together in Birmingham
CQC: CQC publishes review of how local health and social care systems work together in Liverpool