CQC report highlights variations in English care quality

A new report from the Care Quality Commission has illustrated the potentially problematic variations in care quality within England's NHS.

The latest State of Care report from the regulator showed that more than 80 percent of GP practices and six out of ten of adult social care services inspected were rated as good or outstanding, as well as 38 percent of hospitals.

However, there remains significant variation in quality and an unacceptable level of poor care, with seven percent of acute, primary medical and adult social care services rated as inadequate.

Moreover, more than one in ten hospitals – and a similar proportion of adult social care services – were rated as inadequate for safety, alongside six percent of GP practices and out-of-hours services.

The report also showed that where improvements are not being made, the CQC is increasingly likely to take enforcement action, with this occurring in seven percent of inspections in 2014/15, compared with four percent in the previous period.

David Behan, chief executive officer of CQC, said: "The variation in care that we have observed is not just about the money. Good leaders are what make the difference – leaders who engage staff and people who use services and create a culture of continuous quality improvement."