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Regulator says care for older people needs reform

Will a CQC review of local authorities help improve care for older people?

 

A review by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) of health and social care systems in 20 local authority areas has called for an agreed joint plan.

 

The plan should ensure older people are supported in their own homes, help them in an emergency and then see they are returned home safely.

 

The review found that organisations aim to work together but are mostly focused on their own goals. The way services are funded does not support collaboration.

 

As services did not always share information they were not able to make informed decisions about people’s care, says the review. And services to keep people well at home are not being prioritised.

 

The review suggests a new approach for measuring how organisations collectively delivered improved outcomes for older people.

 

CQC chief executive Sir David Behan said the number of nursing home beds is decreasing and unmet need is on the rise. At the same time, the number of older people is continuing to rise.

 

He suggested the long-term plan announced by the government could create funding flows to incentivise people to work collaboratively to deliver better care for older people.

 

Further information

Care Quality Commission: Beyond barriers: how older people move between health and care in England

Health Service Journal: Behan calls for funding reform and social care deal

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