The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) annual State of Care report has warned the NHS and care system is ‘straining at the seams.’

The report stresses that 1.2 million older people are not receiving the help they need, there are 4,000 fewer nursing home beds than in April 2015 and that the social care crisis is leading to more operations being cancelled and more people waiting over four hours at A&E.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary Norman Lamb commented:

“The evidence from this report is clear, our NHS and care services are surviving on borrowed time.

“Unless the Government gets to grips with this funding crisis, the quality of patient care will suffer in the years ahead.

“We know that over a million vulnerable older people are already missing out on care and support they need. How much worse do things have to get before ministers accept these vital services need more money?

“The CQC are right to highlight the need for a long-term solution. That is why I have been calling on the Government to bring together a cross party commission to consult with staff, patients and the public and develop a sustainable financial settlement for the NHS and social care.”