Statement in response to the CQC State of Care report

Responding to the CQC State of Care report, Sam Rodger, Assistant Director, Policy and Strategy,  NHS Race and Health Observatory said:

“The CQC’s 2024 State of Care report is a timely reminder of the challenges facing our healthcare system. It shows us once again that accessing vital primary care services – the front door of the NHS – is getting more and more difficult. Waiting times continue to increase, and we know that the burden is more keenly felt by some of the most marginalised groups in society, those living in deprived areas and those from Black and minority ethnic communities. Some of the more disturbing elements of the report are sadly some of the least surprising – it shows us once again that Black people are significantly more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act, that Black and minority ethnic women are at greater risk of experiencing poorer health outcomes, and that ethnicity data collected by trusts is insufficient to properly tackle these inequities.

“Evidence of this inequity shows ever more clearly the importance of the whole healthcare sector working together to tackle racism and its effects. This can only be done through concerted effort and coalition building. And, in a year in which the CQC itself has come under intense scrutiny, we must also strengthen the role of regulation in driving change in equity. A health care service that doesn’t work for everyone is a healthcare service that doesn’t work, and we need a robust system of accountability if we’re going to change that.”