Response to CQC's State of Care report

Age UK's response to the CQC's Annual State of Care report

Responding to The Care Quality Commission's State of Care report, Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director of Age UK said:

'It's not acceptable that NHS hospitals and care homes with nursing are not complying with basic minimum standards required for the wellbeing and welfare of older people. It's shocking to see that only half of NHS hospitals and care homes with nursing are meeting their obligation to provide effective, safe and appropriate treatment which meets their needs and protect their rights and that 30% fail on nutrition, welfare and safety.

'The demand for high quality of health and social care will only increase as our population continues to age.  The CQC's report clearly demonstrates this by the rise in domiciliary care agencies and contacts received by social care departments. Providing good quality care to all that need it should be a basic requirement in a civilised society, however barriers, such as councils tightening eligibility criteria to those with the highest care needs, often prevent people from getting the support they need to lead independent and happy lives.

'It's worrying to see a huge drop in the number of inspections, however effective monitoring can only be done with sufficient funding - something the CQC does not have at present.  We would like to see yearly inspections to guarantee quality of care for many older people in hospitals and care homes across the country and a commitment from Government to ensure the regulator is fully resourced to do so.

'The care of the most vulnerable in our society is one of the most important issues facing the country and too important to cast aside and be labelled as "too costly or difficult".  We need the Government to show leadership and make the difficult but vital decisions to reform our broken care system and lift the fear out of later life - we owe that to older people now and generations to come.'
 

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

Age UK
For media enquiries relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland please contact the appropriate national office: Age Scotland on 0131 668 8055, Age Cymru on 029 2043 1562 and Age NI on 028 9024 5729.

Age UK is the new force combining Age Concern and Help the Aged, dedicated to improving later life.

We provide free information, advice and support to over five million people; commercial products and services to over one million customers; and research and campaign on the issues that matter to people in later life. Our work focuses on five key areas: money matters, health and well being, home and care, work and training and leisure and lifestyle. We work with our national partners, Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI (together the Age UK Family), our local Age UK partners in England and local Age Concerns. We also work internationally for people in later life as a member of the DEC and with our sister charity Help Age International.

Age UK is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (registered charity number 1128267 and company number 6825798). Age Concern England and Help the Aged (both registered charities), and their trading and other associated companies merged on the 1st April 2009. Together they have formed the Age UK Group ("we").  Charitable services are offered through Age UK and commercial products are offered by the Charity's trading companies, which donate their net profits to Age UK (the Charity). 

Media contact: Anne-Marie Doohan
Telephone: 020 8765 7511