Care England, the voice of adult social care, has welcomed today’s publication of the Care Quality Commission’s report exploring the experiences of people with dementia across health and social care services in England.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, commented:
“This report rightly shines a light on the lived experiences of people with dementia and their families and highlights both the barriers and opportunities for improvement within the health and social care system. It is deeply concerning to read that people often feel alone in navigating their care journey and are forced to rely on voluntary groups to bridge the gaps.
“At the same time, the report affirms what we know to be true: that person-centred, compassionate care delivered by trained professionals in environments tailored to individual needs can transform lives. We echo the CQC’s call for a clearly defined vision of what good, joined-up dementia care looks like, and stand ready to contribute our expertise and insight from across the sector.”
The number of people living with dementia in England and Wales is projected to rise to 1.7 million by 2040, up from 900,000 currently across the UK. The report’s findings underscore the urgent need for a strategic, cross-sector approach to dementia care. Among its key concerns, are insufficient dementia-specific training, pressure on unpaid carers, and care environments that do not always support wellbeing.
Professor Green continued:
“As demand for dementia services continues to rise, there must be a renewed focus on delivering high-quality, sustainable care. This includes investment in the social care workforce, mandatory dementia training for all providers, and commissioning models that incentivise innovation and excellence”
“Dementia care continues to be treated as an afterthought in policy and commissioning decisions. We urgently need a government-backed, fully funded dementia strategy that treats social care as equal to the NHS. Anything less will continue to let down the very people we claim to support.
“We are encouraged to see the CQC’s commitment to developing a dedicated dementia strategy in partnership with providers, people with lived experience, and wider stakeholders. Only by working collaboratively can we build a system that truly supports people to live well with dementia.”
Care England looks forward to engaging with the CQC and sector partners as this important work progresses and will continue to advocate for policy change that enhances the quality of life for individuals living with dementia and those who support them.
