CQC to conduct further eight local system reviews of health and social care

We have been asked by the Secretaries of State for Health and for Communities and for Local Government to undertake local system reviews of health and social care in a further eight local authority areas.

This follows on from the previous twelve area reviews that we’re already carrying out and have begun to report on.

These reviews, exercised under the Secretaries of State's Section 48 powers, will look specifically at how people move between health and social care, including delayed transfers of care, with a particular focus on people over 65 years old.

The further eight areas we have been asked to review are:

• Bradford
• Cumbria
• Hampshire
• Liverpool
• Northamptonshire
• Sheffield
• Stockport
• Wiltshire

David Behan, Chief Executive, said: "People should be able to expect good, safe care when they need it, regardless of how this care is delivered. And yet we know there is wide variation in how health and social care systems work together, with some local systems working together effectively to ensure people get the right care, while others struggle to do so – these reviews will seek to examine why these levels of variation exist.

"Our intention is that the review findings will highlight what is working well and where there are opportunities for improving how the system works, enabling the sharing of good practice and identifying where additional support is needed to secure better outcomes for people using services."

On completion of the review our findings will be reported to each local authority area’s health and wellbeing board and published at www.cqc.org.uk/localsystemreviews. An interim report bringing together a summary of our findings so far is planned to publish shortly.