The latest Care Quality Commission performance metrics reveals a striking trend: adult social care services in England are consistently outperforming NHS acute hospital core services when it comes to quality ratings.  

While our hospitals are visibly dealing with structural pressure, social care workers who are historically underfunded and undervalued are managing to protect the quality of their services against incredible odds.  

Across the board, providers are overwhelmingly meeting or exceeding the standards expected of them. Looking at the figures and various service types the consistency is striking.  

• Supported Living & Homecare: These sectors are leading the charge. A staggering 74% of supported living services and 72% of homecare providers are rated “Good”, with a handful achieving the “Outstanding” status.  

• Care Homes: Despite bearing intense public scrutiny, 65% of care homes maintain a “Good” rating. 

• Shared Lives Schemes: Though a smaller segment of the sector, these community focused living arrangements achieved a flawless 100% “Good” rating.  

Across all these areas, severe failures are incredibly rare, with “Inadequate” ratings hovering around 3% to 4%. It shows that despite recruitment challenges and tight margins; this sector refuses to compromise on the dignity and safety of the people it supports. 

 

When comparing these figures with the NHS, there is a clear worrying trajectory. The CQC’s data from 2023 to 2025 shows a visible decline in ratings and quality: 

• In 2023, 61% of NHS acute hospital services were rated “Good.” 

• By 2024, that number dropped to 57% 

• By 2025, it hit a critical low of 52% 

Nearly half of the core services inside our acute NHS hospitals now sit in categories that require improvement or face serious intervention. This isn’t a reflection of a lack of effort from doctors and nurses, it is the reality of a system facing bed shortages, immense backlogs and a workforce stretched past its breaking point. 

 

These findings highlight a profound irony. The NHS is struggling because it cannot function alone. When hospitals cannot discharge medically fit patients due to lack of available community support and care, beds stay blocked, A&E queues grow and hospital ratings plummet.  

Yet, the social care providers who are available are doing an exceptional job. They are maintaining high standards in an environment that is arguably just as volatile as an NHS ward.