Waiting times for care assessments 'are falling'

Councillors did not specify how significantly care assessment waits had fallen.

A council has said long waiting times for care assessments faced by the elderly and disabled people have been reduced.

A review paid for by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) at the end of 2023, ahead of an inspection, found Bristol City Council had an average waiting time of 174 days, almost six months.

Council bosses told the adult social care policy committee this week that work had taken place since the review, resulting in reducing waiting times.

The authority did not specify, however, how long people are waiting now.

'Improving picture'

The CQC will inspect the council's provision of care assessment in late October or early November.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that Hugh Evans, executive director of adults and communities, told the committee: "We’ve had the best part of a year to address all of the issues that were raised in the peer review.

"We’ve done a lot of work to reduce waiting times, with additional capacity and extra staff in.

"That does make us now a lot more confident about our prospects when it comes to our CQC assessment. We’re in a better place.”

Green Councillor Lorraine Francis, chair of the adult social care committee said: “Things are moving in the right direction. We’re taking the right steps.

She added: "Obviously having waiting lists for safeguarding is never a good idea.”

The review also praised the council’s staff, joint working with partners, and major changes to how contractors are chosen to provide care services.