‘Gross’ care delays could become ‘new normal’, says CQC report

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has urged system leaders to move away from “quick fixes” to the “enormous gap in resources and capacity” in urgent and emergency care.

A report by the CQC and a large group of emergency clinicians and other health and care leaders calls for a ”move away from reactive ‘quick fixes’ such as tents in the car park or corridor care to proactive long-term solutions and to address the enormous gap in resources and capacity”.

The use of tents and treating more patients in corridors have been increasingly adopted by hospitals in recent months, sometimes encouraged by NHS England, particularly when they are under pressure to reduce handover delays from ambulances.

The report, 'People First: a response from health and care leaders to the urgent and emergency care system crisis', suggests:

• expanding use of urgent community response teams to attend minor injuries 999/111 calls,
• giving acute and social care providers direct access to GP and community service booking systems, and
• providing “rapid access” to support packages to help people avoid hospital admission.

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Source: HSJ, 22 September 2022