The state of care during a full year of the pandemic

Key points

• The impact of the pandemic on many who use health and social care services has been intensely damaging. Many people have struggled to get the care they need, and there is also evidence that some people have not sought care and treatment as a result of COVID-19.
• We have previously highlighted the ongoing issues that people from some groups have faced in accessing and receiving high-quality care. Over the last year, the pandemic has further exposed and exacerbated these inequalities.
• People with a learning disability have faced increased challenges as a result of the pandemic.
• The need for mental health care has increased, with children and young people particularly badly affected.
• The strain on carers has intensified. Carers UK estimated in June 2020 that an additional 4.5 million people had become unpaid carers since the pandemic began.
• Health and social care staff are exhausted and the workforce is depleted. People across all professions, and carers and volunteers, have worked tirelessly to help those who needed care. The negative impact of working under this sustained pressure, including anxiety, stress and burnout, cannot be underestimated.
• Despite the widespread disruption caused by the pandemic, surveys have shown that, when people were able to access the care they needed, they were often positive about that care.

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