Alarming report reveals the state of care in England

The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England, has published its annual report on the quality of health and social care services in England.

Every day, we hear from people with Parkinson’s about the negative impact the NHS workforce crisis has on their care. The report highlights the level of staff shortages in the NHS, which is leading to staff burnout and negatively impacting quality of care. It also reveals how huge waiting lists are leading to many people seeking private healthcare, and that there has been a decline in the quality of mental health services.

Dr Rowan Wathes, Associate Director of Policy & Health Strategy at Parkinson’s UK, said:

"We are shocked, but not surprised, by the findings of the CQC's State of Care report. The Parkinson’s community continues to experience significant delays in accessing health and social care, with some resorting to going private to get a diagnosis or to meet their care needs. This is an unnecessary financial burden forced upon people who are already dealing with the symptoms and pressures associated with having a progressive neurological condition.

"The government needs to roll out their NHS workforce plan as a priority. They must address regional variations in workforce supply and demand across the country, with more nurses, consultants, therapists and care staff.

"People living with Parkinson’s require an integrated multidisciplinary team who have specialist knowledge of the condition. It’s the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, so we must act now to increase the quality and availability of multidisciplinary care the community needs and deserves."

Next steps

Our Can’t Wait campaign calls for a workforce plan to deal with this crisis. The government has published their long-awaited workforce plan, but we believe it’s missing key details on how people with Parkinson’s will see their access to healthcare improve.