The State of Health Care and Adult Social Care in England in 2011/12

Book excerpt: The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health care and adult social care services in England. This report describes the state of health care and adult social care services in England in 2011/12. The report has two main sections, dealing with the shape of care provision and the quality and safety of services. Each section looks at the different care sectors in turn: NHS healthcare, independent healthcare, dental care and adult social care. Overall the Care Quality Commission found that the increasing complexity of conditions and greater co-morbidities experienced by people are impacting on the ability of care providers to deliver person-centred care that meets individuals needs. It is also seeing increasing pressures on staff, both in terms of the skills required to care for people with more complex conditions and in terms of staff numbers.