2018/2019 State of Care’s call to make care accessible sooner

In this year’s annual State of Care assessment, England’s Care Quality Commission highlights people’s lack of access to timely, convenient, and appropriate health services. In the future, it will be necessary to alter the health and social care system in England so that patients can receive the care they need prior to reaching a point of crisis. Thus, it will become increasingly important for government leaders to focus on initiating changes that will make care more innovative and collaborative so that it can become more easily accessible.

The 2018/2019 assessment found that the major flaw in England’s health and social care system is that people are often not receiving necessary care until it is too late. This is largely due to the fact that people struggle to gain access to appropriate health care until they reach a point at which their condition becomes so serious that they need immediate aid. However, had they received the necessary care earlier, it is likely they could have completely avoided reaching this point of crisis at which care is significantly costlier.

For example, people with learning disabilities, autism, and other complex problems often are hospitalized, segregated, or placed in overly restrictive environments because their communities do not have the appropriate services available to help them. Many are placed in rehab centers far from their homes, causing them to lose their support network. None of these conditions are ideal for recovery, and, thus, a call for change is necessary. Access to specialist care in their own community would give them a much better quality of life.

One major driver of the lack of accessibility of appropriate care is the lack of staffing and the overall lack of people in the health services workforce. Often, even those who work in the sector lack the necessary skills, training, and experience to appropriately help their patients.

Overall, it is vital that people begin receiving the care that they need as soon as possible. The importance of timely care for the elderly at places such as Bromson Hill Nursing Home, based in Ashorne, Warwickshire, should not be understated as many elderly people continue to wait longer and longer before seeking support as it is becoming increasingly expensive.