Yorkshire and the Humber unpaid carers asked to share views on care
Unpaid carers across Yorkshire and the Humber are being asked to share their views on care.
Unpaid carers across Yorkshire and the Humber are being asked to share their views on care.
It is part of a year-long campaign led by the Care Quality Commission and Healthwatch England in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
It aims to encourage more people to share their individual experiences, to help the NHS and social care services identify and address quality issues and provide the best care possible.
They say unpaid carers have played a greater role than ever before in supporting people with their care needs during this pandemic. In addition to the direct support they provide, carers play a vital role in sharing feedback about their experiences and now it is time for their voice to be heard, through the ‘Because we all care’ campaign.
The CQC and Healthwatch England are asking unpaid carers who provide care and support to family members, friends and neighbours, that may be affected by a disability, physical or mental ill-health, frailty or substance misuse to tell us about the care that they witness. This could be in care homes, hospitals or at home. Both positive and negative feedback is welcome.
Research undertaken by CQC and Healthwatch as part of ‘Because we all care’ campaign has shown that in Yorkshire and Humber 74% of people agree feedback helps providers identify areas for services to improve, and 61% of people noticed changes to the standard of care during the coronavirus pandemic.
Kate Terroni, chief inspector of adult social care at CQC, said:
“There are 6.5 million unpaid carers in England and their voices are extremely powerful.
“We are incredibly grateful that many carers have already shared their experiences of what care is like when delivered in their own home, in care homes, hospitals and GPs - good and bad – this is vital intelligence to CQC and really does make a difference.
“By the end of December we carried out over 1900 risk-based inspections using vital intelligence, including from carers and members of the public. I’d like to make a plea that carers continue to talk to us about what care is like as they are our eyes and ears on the ground.“
Concerns shared with CQC help to identify poor care quickly and take action. If you have a concern that a loved one or someone you care for is not getting the care they should, or is being put at risk, do not hesitate to get in touch with CQC or be afraid to speak up.
People can give feedback on their experiences of care, or those of someone they care for, on the CQC website or through their local Healthwatch. Local Healthwatch organisations can also help you with advice and information to access the support you need.
How people can share their views:
With Healthwatch https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/because-we-all-care
With CQC https://www.cqc.org.uk/BecauseWeAllCareUnpaidCarers
People can also contact their local Healthwatch directly to share any experience or get advice and information.