SOCIAL care services for older people in Wiltshire were rated in the 20 worst performing services in England last winter.

The Care Quality Commission has carried out a review of services caring for people aged over 65 carried out by Wiltshire Council, Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group, the three acute hospitals in the region and Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Trust.

The review was ordered by the Secretaries of State for Health and Social Care, and for Housing, Communities and Local Government, to identify the country's worst performing services for the country’s older people.

The report exposed a “difficult” relationship between the Clinical Commissioning Group and Wiltshire Council following a succession of changing senior staff roles. People who used care services expressed disappointment that, in their eyes, the Better Care Plan created in 2014 had not improved services despite being created to improve care for vulnerable people.

Turnover of care and support staff, 34 per cent, is higher in Wiltshire than the England average of 27.8 per cent.

Carlton Brand, corporate director, Adult Care and Public Health, said: “Nationally the 20 systems that were chosen were the worst performing providers of care last winter. Having said that I thought it was a good review it was well led and was helpful in holding up a mirror to the whole system, showing some good stuff and some ways to improve.

“We have taken that feedback and translated that into an action plan over the next 6 to 12 months to deliver all those changes and improvements.”

The report found that in one case a dying patient had had their wish to return home ignored, as staff assessed them for unnecessary care services. Eventually the patient’s initial wish to return home was agreed upon, but the delay meant they spent weeks in hospital instead of at home.

CQC inspectors said individual care providers must work together to improve the system that older people use when receiving care in Wiltshire.